Jasiira Ceebaad and Jasiira Sacaada Diin (6857)
Somalia, Africa

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: B1, D1a

Year of last assessment: 2001

National site name: Jasiira Ceebaad and Jasiira Sacaada Diin

Central coordinates: Latitude: 11.4667, Longitude: 43.4667

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 7

Area of KBA (km²): 8.14974

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The site consists of two adjacent islands in the Gulf of Aden, close to the border with Djibouti in the extreme north-west of the country. Jasiira Ceebaad (Aibat island) (c.150 ha) lies 16 km north of the coastal town of Saylac. It is low-lying and exposed, with sandy beaches and sandflats plus coral reefs that are uncovered at low tide. Vegetation cover is principally Suaeda fruticosa. Nearby Jasiira Sacaada Diin (Saada Din island) (c.540 ha, maximum elevation c.3.6 m) supports an area of Rhizophora mucronata mangroves bordering a lagoon.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. There is no recent information, but Larus leucophthalmus bred in thousands on both islands during the first half of the twentieth century. In addition to those listed below, breeding species reported in the past include Sula leucogaster, Larus hemprichii, Sterna repressa (several hundred), S. bergii and S. bengalensis (less than 1,000 of the latter two combined). Sula dactylatra has also been reported from Jasiira Ceebaad as have colonies of Egretta gularis and Platalea leucorodia from Sacaada Diin. Numerous species of Palearctic migrant waders and waterfowl also occur seasonally. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.

Habitats

Land use: forestry

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Mangroves are cleared for fuelwood and timber, and the patches that remain are under great pressure.

Additional information