Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites (SIS) – 2017 version Available for download from http://www.eaaflyway.net/about/the-flyway/flyway-site-network/ Categories approved by Second Meeting of the Partners of the East Asian-Australasian Flyway Partnership in Beijing, China 13-14 November 2007 - Report (Minutes) Agenda Item 3.13 Notes for compilers: 1. The management body intending to nominate a site for inclusion in the East Asian - Australasian Flyway Site Network is requested to complete a Site Information Sheet. The Site Information Sheet will provide the basic information of the site and detail how the site meets the criteria for inclusion in the Flyway Site Network. When there is a new nomination or an SIS update, the following sections with an asterisk (*), from Questions 1-14 and Question 30, must be filled or updated at least so that it can justify the international importance of the habitat for migratory waterbirds. 2. The Site Information Sheet is based on the Ramsar Information Sheet. If the site proposed for the Flyway Site Network is an existing Ramsar site then the documentation process can be simplified. 3. Once completed, the Site Information Sheet (and accompanying map(s)) should be submitted to the Flyway Partnership Secretariat. Compilers should provide an electronic (MS Word) copy of the Information Sheet and, where possible, digital versions (e.g. shapefile) of all maps. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- - 1. Name and contact details of the compiler of this form *: Full name: EAAF SITE CODE FOR OFFICE USE ONLY: Institution/agency: Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning Address : 60/1 Soi Puboon Wattana 7, Rama 6, Phayathai. E A A F 0 8 4 Bankik 104000 Telephone:+66-2-2714232 # 296 Fax numbers: E-mail address: Full name: David Li, Waterbird Conservation Officer 1 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites Institution/agency: Wetlands International Address : 3A39, Block A. Kelana Centre Point, SS7/19, 47301, Patling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia Telephone: +603 7804 6770 Fax numbers: +603 7804 6772 E-mail address: [email protected] Full name: John Howes Institution/agency: Wetlands International Associate Experts, Luscinia Consulting Address : No. 17 Jalan 14/34, 46100 Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E., Malaysia Telephone: +603 79602526 Fax numbers: E-mail address: [email protected] 2. Date this sheet was completed *: DD/MM/YYYY 9th November 2005 3. Country *: Thailand 4. Name of the Flyway Network site *: Accepted English transcription of the Site‟s name. Krabi Estuary and Bay 5. Map of site *: The most up-to-date available and suitable map of the wetland should be appended to the SIS (only in digital format and shape file). The map must clearly show the boundary of the site. Please refer to the “Digitising Site Boundaries in Google Earth” file linked here. (See below.) 2 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites Map 1: Boundary of the Krabi Ramsar site. 3 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites Map 2: Most important feeding and roosting areas for shorebirds in Krabi Estuary and Bay. _____ Ramsar Site Boundary Intertidal habitat Above high-tide level 6. Geographical coordinates (latitude/longitude, in decimal degrees) *: Provide the coordinates of the approximate centre of the site and/or the limits of the site. If the site is composed of more than one separate area, provide coordinates for each of these areas. 7 50 to 8 05 N and 98 48 to 99 01E 4 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites 7. Elevation *: (in metres: average and/or maximum & minimum) Sea level 8. Area *: The total area of the site, in hectares. If the areas of discrete site units are known, please also list each of these together with the names (or labels) used to identify and differentiate these units. 21,299.14 ha 9. General overview of the site *: A brief (two sentences) summary of the site, mentioning principal physical and ecological functions, and its importance for migratory waterbirds. Krabi Estuary and Bay is a Ramsar Wetland which includes sand beaches, mangroves and sand-flats extending from the fossil mollusc beds at Laem Pho to Khao Kanab Nam, Khao Laem Nang, east past the complex of rivers which open to the sea at Pak Nam Krabi, to the Khlong Yuan and Khlong Taling Chan, and south to Ban Laem Hin and Sriboya Island. The Ramsar site encompasses considerable areas of steep wooded cliffs and plantation agriculture (Map 1). The inter-tidal mudflats extend up to two km wide at low tide. The area of mangrove forest and mudflats are 10,212 ha and 1,200 ha respectively (Map 2). A substantial amount of fresh water enters the system as run-off via the major rivers, especially during the wet season. The sea-bed shelves fairly steeply to two metres immediately offshore, and to 6-10 m in the major estuary. The tidal amplitude at Ao Nang varies from 1m at neap tides to 3m at the highest spring tides. Important high-tide roost sites for shorebirds are on the numerous bamboo fish-traps up to 3 km offshore as well as on the sand beaches at Khlong Thalu, Laem Pho and Laem Kam. This site was listed as a Ramsar site by the Thailand Government on 5th July 2001. Unfortunately much of the inter-tidal sandflats and all of the important fish-trap roost sites were excluded from the Ramsar site. The Danida-funded project “Implementing the Ramsar Convention in Thailand: Management and Protection of Wetlands (MPW)” made recommendations in 2002 to extend the westward boundary of the Ramsar site as far as the 5m depth contour of the sub-littoral shelf to include all shorebird roosts and the extensive sea grass beds around Sriboya and Pu islands. In the future this area will be considered for inclusion in the Ramsar site boundary as part of the shorebird management area. 10. Justification of Flyway Site Network criteria *: Please provide waterbird count information (with year of latest count) that demonstrates that the site meets the criteria of the Flyway Site Network (Annex 1). That is: it regularly supports > 20 000 migratory waterbirds; or, 5 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites it regularly supports > 1 % of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of migratory waterbird; or, it supports appreciable numbers of an endangered or vulnerable population of migratory waterbird it is a “staging site” supporting > 5 000 waterbirds, or > 0.25% of a population stage at the site. A listing of the populations of migratory waterbirds covered by the East Asian – Australasian Flyway Partnership and the 1% thresholds is attached (Annex 3). The “staging site” criterion is particularly difficult to apply and application of this should be discussed with the Secretariat. Also note that some species have several populations that are very difficult to distinguish in the field. Highest counts of shorebirds at the site are 2000+ in October 1984 by aerial survey, 1,760 during September 1988, and more recently 3,550 shorebirds in November-December 2003 and the highest count of 4,782 shorebirds recorded in March 2004. „it regularly supports > 1 % of the individuals in a population of one species or subspecies of migratory shorbird‟ Two migratory shorebird species have met the 1% population criteria: the Mongolian Plover (Lesser Sand Plover) and the Nordmann‟s Greenshank (Table 1). „it is a “staging site” where at least 0.25% of a population stage at the site.‟ Krabi Estuary appears to be a staging site for the migratory passage of several populations of shorebirds. The site has met the selection criteria as a staging site for two species, the Greater Sand Plover and Kentish Plover (see Table 1). These species were not recorded in large numbers during the non-breeding season and as such are considered to be passage migrants. Table 1: Shorebirds in Krabi Estuary which meet the criteria for the East Asian- Australasian Shorebird Site Network Meets Glob 1% Recent Meets Stagin al Species Criteri Highest count Counts 1% g statu a (2000-2004) Criteria Criteri s a Mongolian 1,300 3,571 in March Yes plover 2004, by John Charadrius Howes mongolus 6 Information Sheet on EAA Flyway Network Sites Meets Glob 1% Recent Meets Stagin al Species Criteri Highest count Counts 1% g statu a (2000-2004) Criteria Criteri s a Nordmann’s 6 EN* 40+ during 10 in Jan Yes Greenshank December 1996 by 2001, by Phil Tringa guttifer E.T. Myers. D. Round 20 in March 1991, 7 in March AWC data. 2004, by John Howes Greater Sand 1,000 300 on 22 April Yes Plover 2004, by John Charadrius Howes leschenualtii Kentish Plover 1,000 300 on 5 March Yes 2004, by John Howes * EN = Endangered under the IUCN Red List Category (2004) „it supports appreciable numbers of an endangered or vulnerable population of migratory shorebird.‟ The Krabi Estuary and Bay is important for Nordmann‟s Greenshank (Endangered species, IUCN), particularly during the winter (non-breeding season) and as a site during northward migration for birds returning from farther south. Based upon the records during 1991 to 2004 (presented in Table 2), the earliest recorded date at Krabi during the Autumn (southward migration) is 2nd November (in 2000) and the latest date during Spring (northward migration) is 9th April (in 1995). A maximum winter (non-breeding) season count of 40+ birds was recorded on 20 December 1996 by E.T. Myers. Based on these figures the Krabi Estuary and Bay was most important for Nordmann‟s Greenshank during the years 1996 and 1997. Many of these counts were made during high tide when the birds roost on bamboo fish-traps offshore of the actual Ramsar site.