Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve (14345)
Nepal, Asia

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 2005

National site name: Sukla Phanta Wildlife Reserve

Central coordinates: Latitude: 28.8833, Longitude: 80.1833

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 150 to 600

Area of KBA (km²): 684.06346

Protected area coverage (%): 92.74

KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Sukla Phanta lies in the extreme southwest of the terai in Kanchanpur district. The international border between Nepal and India demarcates the western boundary and also the southern boundary, beyond which lies the Luggabugga Florican Reserve in India. Some 54.7% of the reserve is covered by broadleaved forests of Sal Shorea robusta with forests of Sissoo Dalbergia sissoo and Khair Acacia catechu along rivers, and grassland and marsh in the southwest where soils are of recent alluvium. The rest consists of forests of Sal, Sissoo and Khair and savannah, supported by better-drained soils on higher terrain in the northeast (Schaaf 1978, Green 1993). The reserve possesses the largest grassland phantas in Nepal; these are of both national and international importance for birds and other wildlife. There are four small lakes, Rani Tal, Salghaudi Tal, Kalikitch Tal and Shikari Tal, which add significantly to the reserve's biodiversity.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Eastern Himalayas Hotspot (2005). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2002 IUCN Red List.

Additional biodiversity: Around 373 species of birds have been definitely recorded in the reserve, including 50% of Nepal's globally threatened species. Over half of these threatened species frequent grasslands, emphasizing the reserve's importance for this habitat type (Inskipp and Baral in prep.). The reserve supports by far the largest population of Bengal Florican in Nepal (Inskipp and Inskipp 1983, Tamang and Baral 2000). Sukla Phanta also holds the large majority of Nepal’s wintering population of Hodgson’s Bushchat Saxicola insignis and is the country’s only regular wintering site for the species (Baral 1998b). The reserve is also important for Swamp Francolin, White-rumped Vulture, Slender-billed Vulture, Lesser Adjutant, Bristled Grassbird, Jerdon's Babbler Chrysomma altirostre and Finn’s Weaver Ploceus megarhynchus. The last species, which was previously described as endemic to India (Ali and Ripley 1987), is one of two new bird species for Nepal that were found in Sukla Phanta in 1996 indicating that the grasslands were poorly surveyed at that time (Baral 1998c). Almost half (11 out of 23) of Nepal's near-threatened birds have been recorded at Sukla Phanta and seven of these are wetland species (Inskipp and Baral in prep.). The reserve has large areas of grasslands, and dry tropical and dry subtropical forests. These are known to support significant populations of species characteristic of the Indo-Gangetic Plain, Indo-Malayan Tropical Dry Zone and Sino-Himalayan Subtropical Forest biomes respectively. Non-bird biodiversity: A total of 30 species of mammals has been reliably reported from here, including the following globally threatened species: Tiger Panthera tigris, Asian Elephant Elephas maximus, Hispid Hare Caprolagus hispidus, Smooth-coated Otter Lutrogale perspicillata, Nilgai Boselaphus tragocamelus, Barasingha (or Swamp Deer) Cervus duvaucelii and, also, Indian Rhinoceros Rhinoceros unicornis, which has been recently reintroduced (Hilton-Taylor 2000). Sukla Phanta supports the largest population of the nominate race of Barasingha Cervus duvaucelii duvaucelii, in the world (Schaaf 1978). Sukla Phanta also has a healthy population of Mugger Crocodile Crocodylus palustris and Indian Python Python molurus.

Habitats

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Artificial - Terrestrial	25
Wetlands(Inland)	25
Grassland	25
Forest	25

Threats

Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Threat level 3	Timing
Agriculture & aquaculture	Livestock farming & ranching	Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	Ongoing
Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases	Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases	Unspecified species	Ongoing
Natural system modifications	Fire & fire suppression	Increase in fire frequency/intensity	Ongoing
Biological resource use	Gathering terrestrial plants	Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target)	Ongoing
Residential & commercial development	Housing & urban areas		Ongoing

Additional information