Data Zone
Country/territory: Timor-Leste
IBA criteria met: A2 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1,543 hectares (15.43 km2)
Site description (2007 baseline)
A small catchment of near Dili with a variety of habitats including beach, grassland, mangrove, permanent saline lakes, and Eucalyptus alba savanna woodland along an altitudinal gradient. Tropical dry forest is developing in topographically protected
gullies and on headwater ridges but is not extensive. Tasitolu literally means ‘three seas’ in the Timor-Leste Tetum language, and refers to the three permanent shallow saline lakes that comprise the Tasitolu wetlands. The area is of national cultural, social and
historical significance being an important symbol of the East Timorese struggle for independence. Pope John Paul II held mass at the site in 1989 and it was the location for the restoration of independence celebrations on 20 May 2002.
Key biodiversity
Fifteen restricted-range species have been recorded in this IBA (Trainor et al. 2004).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tasitolu (Timor-Leste). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tasitolu-iba-timor-leste on 22/12/2024.