Thung Tha Laad (15132)
Thailand, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Thung Tha Laad
Central coordinates: Latitude: 8.4667, Longitude: 99.9500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 11.81935
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises Thung Tha Laad, a public park located on the outskirts of Muang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The site is a wetland, which was formerly used for grazing and local boat transport but is now used mainly for recreation. The remaining wetland area comprises a swamp in good condition, with extensive sedge beds and other aquatic vegetation.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. The site has been reviewed and re-confirmed as a KBA in the process of compiling the revised 2011 CEPF Ecosystem Profile for the Indo-Burma Hotspot.
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for the conservation of a number of waterbird species. In particular, it supports one of the few remaining Thai breeding colonies of Purple Heron Ardea purpurea, a species that is nationally threatened as a breeding bird. The site supports in excess of 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of the species. In addition, the site is thought to regularly support at least 20,000 congregatory waterbirds. Some of the commoner species occurring at the site include Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus, Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica, Pheasant-tailed Jacana Hydrophasianus chirurgus, Bronze-winged Jacana Metopidius indicus, Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax, Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis and Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger. Non-bird biodiversity: No data was sourced on other globally threatened species occurring at the site.
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The IBA comprises Thung Tha Laad, a public park located on the outskirts of Muang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The site is a wetland, which was formerly used for grazing and local boat transport but is now used mainly for recreation. The remaining wetland area comprises a swamp in good condition, with extensive sedge beds and other aquatic vegetation.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Little information is available about threats to biodiversity at the site. However, it was formerly a landfill site.
Additional information
References: Round, P. D. (2001) New waterbird colony at Nakhon Si Thammarat. Bird Conservation Society of Thailand Bulletin 18(6): 13.