Thale Sap Songkhla (15190)
Thailand, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Thale Sap Songkhla
Central coordinates: Latitude: 7.4167, Longitude: 100.3500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 51
Area of KBA (km2): 836.5733
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises Thale Sap Songkhla Non-hunting Area and surrounding wetlands. The site is dominated by a brackish lagoon, separated from the Gulf of Thailand by a sand spit. The terrestrial component comprises intertidal flats and several islands. Freshwater flows into the lagoon from the Banthad mountain range to the west and from Thale Noi Non-hunting Area (TH056) to the north. The salinity of the lagoon varies according to the season, being lowest during the late rainy season, when freshwater inflow is greatest. The lagoon is fringed by a substantial area of aquatic grasses, including Cyperus tegetiformes and Eleocharis dulcis, while mangrove (Sonneratia sp.) fringes the outlet channel and adjacent areas. The three hilly islands in the lagoon support c.1,300 ha of lowland evergreen forest.
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 regularly holds more than 20,000 congregatory waterbirds, both residents and visitors. The most abundant waterbirds species at the site include Lesser Whistling-duck Dendrocygna javanica, Garganey Anas querquedula, Cotton Pygmy-goose Nettapus coromandelianus, Little Egret Egretta garzetta, Intermediate Egret Mesophoyx intermedia, Chinese Pond Heron Ardeola bacchus, Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio and Common Moorhen Gallinula chloropus. Non-bird biodiversity: Plants Shorea gratissima (EN)
Delineation rationale: 2013-08-23 (BL Secretariat): site area changed from stated IBA area of 36466 ha (area of the Non-Hunting Reserve) to better reflect the site name/description (which states that the IBA includes wetlands outside the Non-Hunting Area) - hence the IBA polygon area of 86669 ha has been used (calculated via GIS).
Habitats
Summary of habitats in KBA: The IBA comprises Thale Sap Songkhla Non-hunting Area and surrounding wetlands. The site is dominated by a brackish lagoon, separated from the Gulf of Thailand by a sand spit. The terrestrial component comprises intertidal flats and several islands. Freshwater flows into the lagoon from the Banthad mountain range to the west and from Thale Noi Non-hunting Area (TH056) to the north. The salinity of the lagoon varies according to the season, being lowest during the late rainy season, when freshwater inflow is greatest. The lagoon is fringed by a substantial area of aquatic grasses, including Cyperus tegetiformes and Eleocharis dulcis, while mangrove (Sonneratia sp.) fringes the outlet channel and adjacent areas. The three hilly islands in the lagoon support c.1,300 ha of lowland evergreen forest.
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 65 | |
| Forest | 2 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Sedimentation is causing the lagoon to become increasingly shallow, which in turn affects salinity levels and habitat suitability for breeding waterbirds. Other threats to biodiversity at the site include pollution (from both direct dumping of waste and shrimp farming), habitat encroachment through irrigation and development schemes, and land-speculation.
Additional information
References: BirdLife International (1998) Proceedings of the Thailand IBA workshop, Bangkok, November 1998. Unpublished report. Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (1999) Directory of internationally important wetlands in Thailand. Bangkok: Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment. (In Thai.) Office of Environmental Policy and Planning (2004) Thale Sap Songkhla riparian development action plan and budget, year 2004-2007. Bangkok: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Royal Forestry Department (2000) Survey of wildlife in Thale Sap Songkhla Non-hunting area. Bangkok: Royal Forestry Department. UNEP/World Conservation Monitoring Centre website http//:www.wcmc.org.uk/protected_areas