In November 2005, project staff from BirdLife International in Cambodia recorded 70 individuals of the Blue-winged Pitta (Pseudibis davisoni) in the wetlands of the Important Bird Area (IBA) of West Siem Pang. By December 2005, at least 40 individuals continued to be documented in this area.
Since 2003, the BirdLife Cambodia office has implemented a series of community-based conservation activities in northeastern Cambodia. A priority area within this northeastern landscape is the Important Bird Area of West Siem Pang. This area borders two protected regions; to the east lies the Sekong River (also an Important Bird Area) and a small part of Virachey National Park (an Important Bird Area), while to the west and north it borders the Xe Pian National Protected Area of Laos (also an Important Bird Area).
The West Siem Pang area, a mosaic of sparse deciduous dipterocarp forests interspersed with seasonal wetlands (trapeang), along with semi-evergreen forests and mixed deciduous riverine forests along the Sekong River, and semi-evergreen forests on low mountains near the border with Laos, is considered one of the most critical areas for the conservation of threatened bird species in Cambodia.
This area is home to a potentially independent population of the Blue-winged Pitta, a species that is currently classified as Critically Endangered on a global scale. Additionally, it hosts populations of three other globally Critically Endangered bird species: the Giant Ibis (Thaumatibis gigantea), the Indian Vulture (Gyps bengalensis), and the White-rumped Vulture (Gyps tenuirostris).
Coordinated from the field office in the provincial capital of Siem Pang, project staff are currently promoting biodiversity protection activities and capacity building for local communities and authorities to implement conservation and natural resource management initiatives. Among the project activities are biodiversity monitoring and the assessment of human impacts on wetland areas and seasonal ponds (trapaeng – in the local language).
In November 2005, project staff recorded up to 70 Blue-winged Pittas at a trapeang in the Important Bird Area of West Siem Pang. By December, 40 individuals were again noted at the same location. The high count of the Blue-winged Pitta in November indicates a significant increase in the observed population. Previously, the highest recorded counts for this species were 23 individuals in January 2003 and 33 individuals in November 2004. These counts are of great significance given that the global population of the Blue-winged Pitta is estimated to be between 50 to 250 mature individuals.
The Blue-winged Pitta is a large species (75 – 85 centimeters) that typically inhabits areas near lakes, ponds, marshes, and small streams within sparse lowland dipterocarp forests, often in seasonal wetlands. This species is also found in moist or dry grasslands with scattered trees, and near large rivers with sandy and gravelly banks. Their populations are declining due to habitat loss from logging in lowland forests and the conversion of wetlands for agricultural land (most of the floodplain areas of the Mekong River in southern Laos have been converted into rice fields), livestock grazing, grass harvesting, and other development activities. The threat to the species is further exacerbated by poaching and disturbances that disrupt feeding, roosting, and nesting areas. Disturbance and hunting are likely the most significant threats currently facing the Blue-winged Pitta.
BirdLife International Program in Indochina
