Current view: Text account
Site description (2008 baseline):
Site location and context
Sipaliwini Nature Reserve contains the sipaliwini savanna which is a northern extension of the Paru-savanna in Brazil. There are gallery forests, freshwater swamps, isolated patches of forests and granite outcroppings. This site is also habitat for the rare Blue poison arrow frog. There are two airstrips in the nature reserve. There are villages of the local indigenous people near the airstrip.
One endangered species occurs in the reserve, Aratinga solstitialis Sun Parakeet.
Two near-threatened species also occur here, Euscarthmus rufomarginatus Rufous-sided Pygmy-Tyrant and Polystictus pectoralis Bearded Tachuri. The total number of species is 369 of which 27 are biome restricted. Hence it is an IBA on A1 and A3 critria.
Non-bird biodiversity: The Sipaliwinisavanna is also a habitat for the threatened Poison arrow frog (Dendrobates Azureus), the rare Jabiru mycteria, the jaguar (Panthera onca), the giant riverotter (Pteronura brasiliensis).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Illegal and legal catching of birds and animals for the pet trade. For maintaining of the savanna burning is nescessary. Some say there is too much burning others say there is not enough burning.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Research by J.C. Mittermeier, K. Zyskowski, E. Stowe and J.E. Lai on "The Avifauna of the Sipaliwini savanna in Suriname" in 2006 and 2007. Draft reports are available.
This site is a Nature Reserve.
Nature Reserve owned by the state, gold concession, validity of the concession is not sure. Indigenous people have traditional hunting rights.
Site access / Land-owner requests
Acces. It is custom that this area is entered after permission has been given by the chief of the Tareno tribe.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sipaliwini Nature Reserve (Suriname). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sipaliwini-nature-reserve-iba-suriname on 22/11/2024.
