Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coast Important Bird Area

Landscape at Curral Velho
The IBA is important for Iago Sparrows

The Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coast Important Bird Area lies at the southern end of the island of Boa Vista in the Cape Verde archipelago off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a 600 ha site consisting of the Ilhéu de Curral Velho, as well as the area opposite it on Boa Vista centred on the largely deserted village of Curral Velho. It has a typical arid-zone flora and fauna. The bird area was designated as a Ramsar wetland of international importance on July 18, 2005.

Description

The 0.5 ha Ilhéu de Curral Velho is an unvegetated, heavily eroded, calcareous rock, 15 m in height, lying some 500 m off the southernmost point of Boavista. Because of the islet’s cliffs and the prevailing heavy seas, access is difficult and often impossible. The area on the main island consists of sand-dunes, a lagoon and an oasis with a vegetation dominated by palms, acacias and Tamarix senegalensis. The sandy beaches are important nesting sites for threatened Hawksbill and Loggerhead sea turtles. Lizards found in the area include Chioninia spinalis and Hemidactylus bouvieri. The site was identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International because it supports a population of Iago sparrows.[1]

References

  1. ↑ "Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coastal area". Important Bird Areas factsheet. BirdLife International. 2013. Retrieved 2013-08-10.

Coordinates: 15°58′N 22°47′W / 15.967°N 22.783°W / 15.967; -22.783

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