• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2001 baseline)
The site comprises a lightly wooded, hilly region in the south-east of the country next to the border with Ethiopia. The majority of the site is sparsely vegetated with low (4–5 m) Acacia spp. and seasonal herbaceous cover; vegetation is denser in the many small wadis, with occasional large Ficus trees. There are settlements at Ali Addé and Assâmo, with small gardens cultivated in the wadi at Assâmo. The whole site is used for livestock-grazing; the human population has been greatly augmented in recent years by several thousand refugees from Somalia.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 2 for key species. Six of the Somali–Masai biome species are only known in Djibouti from this site. In addition, two Sahara–Sindian species and one Sahel biome species have also been recorded (see Table 2). The red-tailed Pytilia melba soudanensis occurs here, replacing the taxonomically indeterminate yellow-tailed form that has been seen in sites DJ001 and DJ002. Buteo augur also occurs and Circaetus gallicus has been recorded wintering.

Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, the only Djibouti records of Dorcatragus megalotis (VU) are from two locations within the site, while Papio hamadryas (LR/nt), Litocranius walleri (LR/cd) and the tree Dracaena ombet (EN) also occur.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ali Sabieh - Assâmo (Djibouti). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ali-sabieh--assâmo-iba-djibouti on 22/12/2024.