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.
