Kouakourou (6619)
Mali, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Kouakourou
Central coordinates: Latitude: 14.2000, Longitude: -4.5333
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 269 to 269
Area of KBA (km2): 313.96278
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Kouakourou is situated in the southern part of the Inner Delta of the Niger, approximately 50 km south-west of Mopti. The site includes a seasonally flooded woodland of Acacia and Zizyphus spp., surrounded by seasonally flooded areas of mixed agricultural land and pasture. The site is defined as a circle of 10 km diameter centred on the middle of the woodland.
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. This site holds a major heron breeding colony which, in 1986, consisted of 15,191 pairs of seven species. Thus, the total number of birds at the site during the breeding season is in excess of 30,000 individuals. The site is also likely to be used by significant numbers of Palearctic migrant waterbirds, but there is no information. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 94 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The purpose of including an area surrounding the core woodland is to provide a buffer zone to prevent excessive disturbance and to allow for the further regeneration of woodland. The birds breeding at the site use a larger area of up to 30 km radius to feed, but much of this is agricultural land which does not require protection or any particular management for conservation. As with other woodland sites within the Sahelian region of Mali, this site is threatened by clearance for fuelwood, overgrazing by goats and by clearance for rice cultivation. The importance of the site as a breeding colony also depends upon the annual flood continuing to reach the woodland.
Additional information
References: Skinner et al. (1987).