Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (14331)
Nepal, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2025
National site name: Kanchenjunga Conservation Area
Central coordinates: Latitude: 27.7000, Longitude: 88.1333
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 1200 to 8567
Area of KBA (km2): 2036.43968
Protected area coverage (%): 99.07
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Kanchenjunga Conservation Area lies at the extreme northeastern corner of Nepal. It was designated in 1997 and is the newest of Nepal's protected areas. The Qomolongma National Nature Reserve of China lies to the north and the Kanchenjunga National Park in Sikkim in India to the east. Mount Kanchenjunga, the third highest mountain in the world (8586m), lies within the Area. There are four main river valleys: the Simbua Khola and the Ghunsa, Kabeli and Tamur.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: A total of 337 species of birds have been recorded in the KCA. A total of 327 bird species is listed for KCA by Inskipp et al. (2008) based on an April 2008 survey and a review of all known previous records (Inskipp et al. 2008). An additional ten species have been recorded subsequently (Baral 2011, Brown 1995, Buckton 1996, Katuwal et al. 2013, Paudel 2008, Thapa and Karki 2005), making the KCA total of 337 species.<div>KCA supports a significant population of Steppe Eagle and so qualifies as an IBA based on the globally threatened criterion.<br>KCA may also hold a significant breeding population of the globally threatened Wood Snipe Gallinago nemoricola which is probably a summer visitor; a survey of the species is needed. Other globally threatened species recorded are: Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca, and Saker Falcon (both vagrants), and Common Pochard Aythya ferina (status unknown). <br>KCA supports a significant population of one restricted-range species, Hoary-throated Barwing from the Central Himalayas (EBA 129), which is a frequent resident. A second restricted-range species from the Central Himalayas, Spiny Babbler Acanthoptila nipalensis has been rarely recorded, but may be overlooked and is probably resident. The IBA would qualify under the restricted-range criterion (A2) if further fieldwork shows that Spiny Babbler of another restricted-range species has a significant population there.<br> <p>Non-bird biodiversity: A total 45 species of mammals, 15 species of reptiles, 21 species of fish, 844 species of flowering plant has been recorded (KCAMC 2077). Globally threatened mammals include Himalayan Black Bear Ursus thibetanus, Snow Leopard Panthera uncia, Himalayan Musk Deer Moschus chrysogaster and Red Panda Ailurus fulgens. Near-threatened species include Himalayan Serow Capricornis thar, Assam Macaque Macaca assamensis. KCA is a global hotspot for plant diversity: a total of 844 species of flora has been found in the area.</p></div>
Manageability of the site: Site identified based on BirdLife International's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, under which manageability is strongly recommended but not explicitly documented
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The Conservation Area comprises rocks and ice (64 %), forests (16.1 %), shrubland (10.1 %), grassland (9.2 %), agricultural land (0.5 %) and lake and landslide (0.1 %) (KCAP 2003 based on topo map 1978). Mount Kanchenjunga, the world’s third highest mountain (8586m), lies within KCA. There are four main river valleys: the Simbua Khola and the Ghunsa, Kabeli and Tamur. The vegetation ranges from subtropical to alpine. Subtropical vegetation comprises moist broadleaved forests of mixed Schima wallichii, Engelhardtia spicata etc, Schima wallichii/Castanopsis tribuloides and C. tribuloides/C. hystrix. In the temperate zone there are moist broadleaved forests of oak/laurel dominated by Quercus glauca, Q. lamellosa and C. tribuloides etc, Q. lamellosa forests, Q. semecarpifolia forests and mixed broadleaved/coniferous forests of Q. semecarpifolia/Tsuga dumosa/Abies spectabilis/Betula utilis/Rhododendron arboreum etc. The sub-alpine zone has a wide range of forest types: Tsuga dumosa/Abies spectabilis forest, Abies spectabilis forest, Larix griffithiana forest, Juniperus indica forest, Rhododendron forests and Betula forest. Vegetation in the alpine zone consists of scrub and meadows (Rastogi et al. 1997).
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Before KCA was designated hunting pressure appeared to be rampant. Hunting is integrated into the cultural traditions and subsistence economy of Rais and Limbus and was also carried out by other ethnic communities (Amatya 1997). After KCA was established hunting pressure was thought to have reduced and sightings of some pheasants increased, especially during the Maoist insurgency, when all guns were confiscated and people avoided entering the forests for fear of Maoist presence (Gurung 2006). However, during the April 2008 survey extremely low numbers of pheasants e.g. Satyr Tragopan Tragopan satyra and Himalayan Monal Lophophorus impeyjanus and pigeons and doves were recorded considering the large area of highly suitable habitats indicating that hunting was probably still common. Youths were observed hunting and killing Black-faced Laughingthrushes Garrulax affinis and Chestnut-crowned Laughingthrushes G. erythrocephalus using catapults at Gyabla; snares were found in the Amji Khola valley and single gun shots were heard on four dates in April 2008 (Inskipp et al. 2008). <div>Government officials, researchers and development workers see shifting cultivation (slash and burn) as unproductive and a threat in natural resource management and biodiversity including bird populations. However, this is a common practice of ethnic communities in KCA. It is constrained by policies and people practicing this farming systems are projected illegal, but the practice is still found to be a major source of food security for many poor and marginalized people (Aryal et al. 2010).</div>
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Annual & perennial non-timber crops | Small-holder farming | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Logging & wood harvesting | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Gathering terrestrial plants | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Energy production & mining | Renewable energy | Ongoing | |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: <div>Amatya, D (1997) A report on wildlife issues in the Kanchanjunga region. Pp. 37-43 in Rastogi, A., Shengji, P. and Devendra A. 1997. Regional consultation on conservation of Kanchanjunga Mountain Ecosystem. World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal Program and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu. </div><div>Aryal, KP, Kerkhoff, EE, Maskey, N, Sherchan, R (2010). Shifting cultivation in the Sacred Himalayan Landscape. A case study in the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. WWF Nepal, Kathmandu.</div>Baral, HS (2011) Birds recorded in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, 2011. Unpublished.<div>Brown, T (1995) Bird data for Kanchenjunga region, fall 1994 and spring 1995. Unpublished report.</div><div>Buckton, S (1996) Kanchenjunga 26/10-18/11/1996. Bird list. Unpublished. 5 pp. <br><div>Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (2015) Protected area information. Kanchenjunga Conservation Area. http://www.dnpwc.gov.np/page/38 Downloaded 13 April 2015.</div><div>Gurung, GS 2006. Reconciling biodiversity conservation priorities with livelihood needs in Kangchenjunga Conservation Area, Nepal. Human Geography Series/Schriftenreihe Humangeographie, Vol. 23 WWF Nepal, Kathmandu.<br><div>Inskipp, C, Inskipp, T, Winspear, R, Collin, P, Robin, A, Thakuri, J and Pandey, M (2008) Bird Survey of Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, April 2008. Kathmandu, Nepal and Sandy, UK. Bird Conservation Nepal and Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.</div><div>Kanchenjunga Management Council (2011) Kanchenjunga Management Plan 2012-17. Submitted to Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. </div><div>Katuwal, H B, Aryal, Y, Rai, S K, Scheidegger, C and Basnet, K (2013) Contribution to the Red Data Book of the birds of Nepal. Report submitted to Dr Hem Sagar Baral, Himalayan Nature. Central Department of Zoology and Botany, Tribhuvan University. Unpublished<br><div>Paudel, TR (2008) Notes on birds recorded in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, 29 January – 12 April 2008. Unpublished.</div><div>Rastogi, A, Shengji, P and Devendra A (1997) Regional consultation on conservation of Kanchanjunga Mountain Ecosystem. Kathmandu: World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Nepal Program and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). </div></div></div></div><div>Thapa, I and Karki, JB (eds.) (2005) Birds of Kangchenjunga Conservation Area. WWF Nepal Program, Kathmandu.</div>
Contributors: Site identified based on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas by the BirdLife International Partnership