More new sites for Sarus Crane in Cambodia

During May 2002, a series of rapid field surveys were conducted in Cambodia by BirdLife, the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), the Department of Forestry (DoF) and the Nature Conservation and Protection Department (NCPD). These surveys resulted in the discovery of two new non-breeding sites for the globally threatened Sarus Crane Grus antigone.

Sarus Crane breeds in forested areas of northern and eastern Cambodia, where it has a scattered distribution. During the non-breeding season, the bird congregates at a number of wetland sites in Cambodia and Vietnam. Prior to 2001, only three major non-breeding sites were known in the region: Ang Tropaeng Thmor in north-western Cambodia, and Tram Chim and Kien Luong in the Mekong Delta region of Vietnam. Then, in 2001, surveys by BirdLife, WCS, DoF, NCDP and the International Crane Foundation (ICF) resulted in the discovery of a major non-breeding site in Takeo province, in the Mekong Delta region of Cambodia. Most recently, the May 2002 surveys revealed the presence of two additional sites: in Kampong Trach district, Kampot province, and in Sre Ambel district, Koh Kong province.

The site in Kampong Trach district is an area of seasonally inundated grassland and Melaleuca scrub, close to the border with Vietnam. This area is an extension of the Ha Tien plain, in Kien Giang province, Vietnam, which, in recent years, has supported the largest known non-breeding concentrations of Sarus Crane. According to information from local people, the site supports between 80 and 150 cranes each year. Unfortunately, large areas of natural habitat at the site have already been converted into aquacultural ponds and agricultural land, and drainage canals have been dug into the largest remaining areas of seasonally inundated grassland. Without immediate and concerted conservation action, it is likely that importance of the site for Sarus Crane will be decline dramatically within the next few years.

The site in Sre Ambel district is an area of Melaleuca woodland, interspersed with patches of agricultural land and seasonally inundated grassland, bordered by an area of mangrove forest. On a previous visit to the site, in December 2001, the survey team saw a small flock of Sarus Cranes in flight over the Sre Ambel river but were unable to determine where the birds were coming from or going to. During the May 2002 survey, the team visited Veal Kriil village, which is Khmer for "Sarus Crane swamp". The team observed Sarus Crane and Woolly-necked Stork Ciconia episcopus, and received reports that Black-necked Stork Ephippiorhynchus asiaticus also occurs along the coast. Information from local people indicates that only around 10 Sarus Cranes visit the site each year. Moreover, the seasonally inundated grassland patches are threatened with conversion to agricultural land. While not being the highest conservation priority, the site does, however, support a unique mosaic of habitats, and is worthy of further study.