Can Gio Man and the Biosphere Reserve Alternative site name(s): Can Gio forest park Province(s): Ho Chi Minh City

Topography and hydrology

Can Gio Man and the Biosphere Reserve is located in Can Gio district, in the coastal zone of Ho Chi Minh City. The area is situated in a recently formed estuary complex of tidal flats, where the Vam Co, Saigon and Dong Nai rivers discharge into the sea. The topography of Can Gio is low-lying and dynamic. The site is divided by a network of canals and rivers.

The major habitat types found at Can Gio are plantation mangrove, of which there is about 20,000 ha, and naturally regenerating mangrove, of which there is about 7,000 ha. The principal mangrove species used for replantation has been Rhizophora apiculata, although R. mucronata has also been used in smaller amounts. In addition to the mangroves, the site also supports seagrass beds dominated by Halophyla sp., Halodule sp. and Thalassia sp.

A total of 18 mollusc, 27 crustacean, 45 fish and three amphibian species have been recorded at the site. There are annecdotal reports of local farmers shooting an Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus at the site in around 1990, although there have been no records since then. Also, Dugong Dugon dugong has been reported to occur seasonally in seagrass beds at the site, although these reports have not been confirmed. The mudflats and sandbanks at the Man and the Biosphere Reserve are an important habitat for migratory shorebirds. A report that Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola, Common Redshank T. totanus, Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos, Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Lesser Sand Plover Charadrius mongolus and Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus occur at the site. In addition, several globally threatened and near-threatened waterbird species have been recorded at Can Gio, including Nordmann's Greenshank Tringa guttifer, Asian Dowitcher Limnodromus semipalmatus, Spotbilled Pelican Pelecanus philippensis and Painted Stork Mycteria leucocephala.

While dominant habitat type at Can Gio, plantation mangrove, is of relatively low importance for key bird species, the intertidal mudflats and sandbanks at the site are important habitats for migratory waterbirds. Several rare waterbird species have been recorded at the site, including Spotted Greenshank, Asian Dowitcher, Spot-billed Pelican and Painted Stork. In addition, the globally endangered Black-faced Spoonbill has been recorded at the site, although it is not believed to regularly occur in significant numbers.

Most highlights

Painted Stork, Nordmann's Greenshank and Asian Dowitcher

Transportation

The site is two hours from Ho Chi Minh City by car

Accommodations

Guesthouses and restaurants are available at Can Gio Beach Resort.