Chhnuk Tru (16669)
Cambodia, Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2012
National site name: Chhnuk Tru
Central coordinates: Latitude: 12.5333, Longitude: 104.4167
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 4 to 8
Area of KBA (km2): 34.52735
Protected area coverage (%): 26.55
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The IBA comprises Chhnuk Tru, an inland delta formed where the Tonle Sap and Stung Sen Rivers meet the Tonle Sap Lake. During the dry season, the IBA contains large areas of exposed mudflat, bisected by a complex of small, medium and large waterways. During the dry season (March to May), the IBA is important for large numbers of migratory shorebirds, although more survey work needs to be carried out to establish the patterns of use of the IBA by migratory shorebirds and feeding large waterbirds from the colonies to the northwest. The area also regularly supports more than 1% of the Asian biogeographic population of Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybridus. The IBA is situated within Tonle Sap Multiple Use Area, designated under the 1993 Royal Decree on Protected Areas, and Tonle Sap Biosphere Reserve.
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) 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 also supports many shorebird species such as Asiatic Golden Plover, Little-ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Greater sand Plover, Bar-tailed Godwit, Common Greenshank, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper, Common Sandpiper, Curlew Sandpiper. Non-bird biodiversity: Asiatic Softshell Turtle (Amyda cartilaginea), Malayan Box Turtle (Cuora ambionensis), Malayan Snail-eating Turtle (Malayemys subtrijuga), Yellow-headed Temple Turtle (Hieremys annandalii), [Siamese Crocodile (Crocodylus siamensis)].
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 50 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Opportunistic hunting of waterbirds is probably the most serious threat to biodiversity at the IBA. Several small, mobile, floating villages are dotted throughout the area, including Kampong Loung, Chhnuk Tru and Phat Sanday, and fishing activities are a source of disturbance to bird populations.