Iles Tristao (6363)
Guinea, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Iles Tristao
Central coordinates: Latitude: 10.8500, Longitude: -15.0000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 340.22889
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This coastal site lies west of the town of Boké on the international border with Guinea-Bissau, which forms its western boundary. It consists of an estuarine complex comprising two main islands, Ile Katarak (the largest) and Ile Kapken, and two smaller ones, Niémé Souri and Foré Souri, at the mouth of the River Kogon. Much of the area is covered in mangroves as well as fresh and brackish water marshes, rice-fields and extensive intertidal mudflats (2,300 ha). Secondary forest and wooded savanna occurs on the highest points (5 m) of the islands. To the south-west of Ile Katarak lies a sandy islet known as Pani Bankhi, which is covered with halophytic 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.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. Counts of between 5,000–10,000 Phoenicopterus minor have been made. The breeding colonies of Platalea alba and Sterna caspia, as well as of Threskiornis aethiopica (75 pairs) and Larus cirrocephalus are located on Pani Bankhi. In addition, Ardea goliath, Ciconia episcopus, Scopus umbretta, Haliaetus vocifer and Balearica pavonina are suspected to breed. The mudflats surrounding the islands, particularly those adjacent to the village of Katchek on Ile Katarak, hold more than 20,000 wintering waders and it is likely that further counts would reveal that more species exceed 1% thresholds. Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, Trichechus senegalensis (VU) is found in the mangroves, and the dolphin Sousa teuszii (DD) has been recorded from the channel between Ile Katarak and Pani Bankhi.
Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 82 | |
| Unknown | 2 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 15 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The Iles Tristao were designated a Ramsar Site in 1992 and have been proposed as a National Park. Raiding of the breeding colonies on Pani Bankhi is an occasional problem. In the 1990s some basic infrastructure was installed at Pani Bankhi (signs, etc.), but it was destroyed shortly afterwards.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Altenburg and van der Kamp (1989, 1991a,b).