Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The reserve is situated in the extreme north of the country, to the south of the road linking Bolgatanga and Navrongo. The topography is generally flat with an elevation of no more than 150 m. The Tankwidi river bisects the reserve and flows southwards to join the White Volta at the southern end of the reserve, on the border with the Northern Region. The site is characterized by Guinea Savanna woodland, with short trees, shrubs and grasses mainly of the tribe Andropogoneae. Dominant plant species include
Combretum,
Terminalia and
Butyrospermum spp
. There is a small plantation of teak
Tectona grandis.
See Box and Table 3 for key species. Some 78 species have been recorded, including
Bucorvus abyssinicus and
Eupodotis melanogaster.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Threats include the construction of an airstrip (suspended at the time of the survey) and heavy grazing by domestic stock. The decision to build an airstrip on the reserve needs to be reconsidered carefully. The reserve is also threatened by illegal gold mining, although this was under control at the time of the survey as a result of a military presence in the area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tankwidi Forest Reserve (Ghana). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tankwidi-forest-reserve-iba-ghana on 23/12/2024.
