Author: adnature2024

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Haramous / Loyada

Haramous/Loyada consists of two main wet habitats but for simplicity is designated as one site and part of it, was declared as the first and only Ramsar site of the country when Djibouti ratified Wetlands Convention in 2003. The site supports large inter-tidal mudflats with mangroves patches in several areas. The eastern coastal terrestrial part of the site is formed low sandy plain intersected by well vegetated wadis and covered with sparse acacia and shrubs.

The area supports large populations of passage and wintering shorebirds some of them are estimated as more than 1% of global population i.e. Crab Plover, Terek Sandpiper, Lesser and Greater Sandpipers as well as more than ten species of herons, Sacred ibis, Yellow-billed and Abdim’s Storks and Greater and Lesser Flamingos. In addition, individual of Arabian bustard and Arabian Golden Sparrow variable flocks, Greater or Lesser Hoopoe larks can be observed in the area (Houssein Rayaleh pers om).

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Galafi / Hanlé Plain

The Hanlé plain has similar biotope which constitutes large alluvial depression with extensive low mix acacia scrub, shallow wadis, and vast sand mats scattered low hills bordered by steep-sided mountains. In several small places, the area support permanent freshwater that hold large stands of doum palm Hyphaene such as Hyphaene and patches of marsh.

Hanlé including Galafi, Daoudaoua and Gagadé plains hold ostrich breeding small population and the freshwater areas support small numbers of breeding water birds such as spur-winged plover, three banded plover, black crake and Egyptian goose. And the area is known the only Djibouti record of long-tailed cormorant, malachite kingfisher and white-browed coucal (Welch and Welch 1998).

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Godorya / Doumeira

Godoria/Doumeira is consisting of a broad coastal plain lying between Djibouti/Eritrea border with the low hill offshore island of Doumeira to the north, and the hill of Ras Siyyan to the south with extension to Godoria mangroves. This is part of the Rift Valley/Red Sea flyway, the second most important flyway for migratory soaring birds in the world, and is the focus of a conservation initiative by Birdlife for migrating soaring birds (http://www.birdlife.org/migratorysoaringbirds/). Over 1.5 million soaring birds of 37 species (including 5 globally threatened species) use the straits each year to move between Eurasia and Africa.  The Strait is an important migration bottleneck because it is the shortest water crossing south of Suez, and the Djibouti side is an Important Bird Area (IBA), but has been little studied.  Information comes from surveys in autumn 1985 and 1987; and in spring 1990 and our own work in 2013 (http://egyptianvulturedjibouti.blogspot.co.at/). More than 240,000 raptors of 28 species were recorded crossing in a single autumn (Welch and Welch 1988), mostly common buzzard and steppe eagle, but also pallid harrier (NT), greater spotted eagle (VU), eastern imperial eagle (VU), and lesser kestrel (VU), and in spring large numbers of Egyptian vultures (EN) and booted eagles were counted during limited surveys (Welch and Welch 1991, McGrady et al 2013).

In addition to the raptors, the area is used storks, ibises, pelicans, bee-eaters, rollers, swifts, swallows, martins, passerines, and waders.

Furthermore, the site supports breeding populations of osprey and sooty falcon on the coastal cliffs and islands, Eurasian spoonbill, clamorous reed warbler in the mangroves and typical arid bird species on the coastal plain such as hoopoe lark, black crowned sparrow lark and desert wheatear. It supports too for seabirds such as slender-billed gull and significant populations of crab plover (5600+, in 1987, Welch and Welch, 1988).

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Goda Moutains / Day Forest

The Association Djibouti Nature – Djibouti Nature  is an independent, membership-based and not-for-profit grassroots organization, legally established in Djibouti. Djibouti Nature was set up in 1999 and thus the most and oldest experienced civil society organization working on nature conservation in the country.

It has an important but short history of nature conservation mainly from birds’ species and natural habitats perspective. Besides, it has been working tirelessly with local communities, private sectors and government bodies for many years to raise awareness for both Djibouti’s extraordinary wildlife and precious habitats protection for the benefit of present and future generations.

Djibouti Nature is registered under the provisions of Act of July 1st, 1901, relating to the contract of association in Djibouti and certificate has been delivered (certificate number 63/DAGR/18/03/2001) by the Ministry of Interior and Decentralisation. The other pages of our site will give you more details.

Last but not least, our website is having one more major upgrade. To allow access to our site to a wider audience, we have provided multilingual functions.

Unfortunately, because of our limited human and financial resources, we started with the following languages: English, French and Somali. In most cases, we translated the content using Google Translate. It usually gives a pretty clear idea. However, this is not enough. So we are working to do better.

Therefore, to translate our content into other national languages (Afar and Arabic) or to improve existing translations, we are looking for volunteers! If you want to contribute in anyway, please contact us.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Nature calls. Please donate !

The power of one: perhaps the most surprising aspect of nature is the power of one. Each living species has a key role in nature. As such, each of us can help save our NATURE. Mother Nature needs your support through Association Djibouti Nature.

Add your voice and take immediate action to protect nature and improve people livelihoods by sharing the vision and mission of Association Djibouti Nature and becoming a member. By uniting and harmonizing our efforts and actions, we can make a big difference.

Annual dues and / or donations can be paid through the following bank account:

  • Account Name: Association Djibouti Nature
  • Account Number:  01135140054
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  • Bank Name: BANK OF AFRICA – MER ROUGE
  • Adresse: 10, Place Lagarde, B.P 88 Djibouti
  • CORRESPONDANT OF INTERMEDIARY INSTITUTION: CITIBANK NEW YORK
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