Tag: Djiboutinature

Posted on

Goba’ad plain

The site is consisted vast alluvial depression with mixture of extensive low acacia scrub, many shallow wadis, and large sandflats and scattered by plateaus.

By its geographical location between two other significant IBAs (Lake Abhé and Hanlé plain) and closer to the border with Ethiopia, its avifauna shows elements reflecting a mixture of bird species provided the neighborhood location with Ethiopia. Goba’ad with two other sites in Djibouti is the only site which hosts ostrich with breeding population potentiality.

In addition, typical semi-desert species presence include Black –crown sparrow lark, spotted thick-knee, Arabian bustard, Lichtenstein, chestnut-bellied and spotted sandgrouses, whilst wadis which are more vegetated hold yellow-necked spurfowl, yellow_breasted barbet, blue-napped mousebird, grey_headed batis, crombec, rufous bush robin and African swallow-tailed kite.

And with Ali-Sabieh/Assamo region, Goba’ad is the second site where lesser masked weavers have been recorded.

Posted on

Allol / Magdoul

llol/Magdoul is a complex of sites grouped by commodity –Alol, Doda, Andaba and Magdoul –consisting of mixture of large alluvial plains subject to periodic inundation, salt flats, mineral hot springs, marsh, dense Acacia scrub, mature stands of Acacia nilotica woodland, large stands of doum palm Hyphaene, grassland and rugged basalt hills.

The site is one of the third known sites for ostrich breeding population. When inundated, the site supports an important breeding and passage wintering waders, i.e. breeding of black winged stilt, Kittlitz’s plover, little grebe and Egyptian goose has been confirmed.

286+ avocets and 1300+ of marsh sandpipers have been recorded at Doda (both highest Djibouti counts, the latter a significant count for East Africa).

The area held large numbers of short-toed larks, tawny pipits, yellow wagtail, isabelline wheatear and shrikes including first Djibouti record of woodchat shrike, many wintering warblers such as Ménétries and Arabian warblers, Hemprich hornbill, Somali starling, rosy-patches shrikes, Black scrub robin chat, hoopoe larks, Arabian bustards, white and black storks.

Further, this large and complex site is also important for raptors including vultures “Rüppell, Griffon, Lappet-faced vultures”, Bataleur, Verreaux’s eagle, Dark chanting goshawk, with breeding confirmation for all aforementioned eagles.

Finally, the basalt cliffs, rocky plateaus and plains of the area support Trumpeter finch, a species restricted to only 4 sites in Djibouti and found nowhere else in East Africa.

Posted on

Ali-Sabieh / Assamo

Ali-Sabieh/Assamo is located in the south-eastern and distanced from Djibouti city, the capital of the country about 120 kilometres. It is an area bordering with Ethiopia and Somalia and constitutes low hills and medium altitudes mountains intersected by wadis “dry rivers” and with large zones of sparse acacia, mixed shrubs and some small gardens developed in the broader wadis where ground water accessibility is easy.

By its geographical location in the border with Ethiopia and Somalia, diversity of bird species of this site shows a mix of species which differs from other IBAs b in Djibouti. The wadis with acacia shrubs support northern crombec, Arabian warbler, black bush robin, grey-headed batis, yellow-breasted and black throated barbets, yellow-necked spurfowl, and rosy-patched shrike.

Wadis with Tamarix patches support nightjar species (possibly European and Nubian nightjars). The gardens host large numbers of Somali bulbul and Rüppell’s weaver, Blue napped mousebird, individual grey headed kingfisher, red-billed oxpecker, crimson-rumped waxbill, green-winged Pytilia, shining and variable sunbirds, and wattled starling. Ali-Sabieh/Assamo is the only area in Djibouti where the Abyssinian scimitarbill, eastern violet backed sunbird and pale chanting goshawk have been observed.

Additionally, the area hosts two globally threatened mammal species such as Endangered Leopard Panthera pardus pardus and Vulnerable Beira antelope Dorcatragus megalotis.

Scan the code