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

The site was identified as important in 2019 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	894-1,290 individuals	B3a
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	389-913 individuals	B3a
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	1,144-2,557 individuals	A4, B3a
Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	1,367-2,259 individuals	A4, B3a
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	416-837 individuals	B3a
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	winter	2014-2017	6,324-13,691 individuals	A4, B1a, B3a
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	winter	2014-2017	6,710-13,897 individuals	A4, B3a
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	winter	2014-2017	10,662-24,228 individuals	A4, B3a
White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus	LC	winter	2014-2017	186-357 individuals	B3a
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter	2014-2017	402-840 individuals	B3a
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	LC	winter	2014-2017	15,437-30,391 individuals	A4, B3a
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2014-2017	2,768-6,777 individuals	B1a
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	2014-2017	43,606-111,278 individuals	A4, B1a, B3a
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2014-2017	248-493 individuals	B1a
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter	2014-2017	1,432-2,828 individuals	B3a
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter	2014-2017	36,310-94,560 individuals	A4, B1a, B3a
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	VU	winter	2014-2017	44,623-116,300 individuals	A4, B1a, B3a
Sanderling Calidris alba	LC	winter	2014-2017	16,114-35,413 individuals	A4, B3a
Little Stint Calidris minuta	LC	winter	2014-2017	1,578-5,037 individuals	B3a
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	2014-2017	10,373-23,113 individuals	A4, B3a
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	268-699 individuals	B3a
Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	257-728 individuals	B3a
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	winter	2014-2017	3,084-9,018 individuals	A4, B3a
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	winter	2014-2017	6,003-16,729 individuals	B3a
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	5,147-9,176 individuals	A4, B3a
Lesser Crested Tern Thalasseus bengalensis	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	605-1,581 individuals	B3a
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	winter	2014-2017	6,825-12,176 individuals	A4, B3a
Royal Tern Thalasseus maximus	LC	non-breeding	2014-2017	3,193-9,781 individuals	A4, B3a
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	2014-2017	235,431-496,598 individuals	B3b

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2019) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2019. The most recent assessment (2001) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Unknown	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Ilhas Formosa , Nago & Tchediã (Urok)	Marine Community Protected Area	14
1996	Bolama - Bijagós	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	100
1996	Bijagos Archipelago Biosphere Reserve	Biosphere Reserve	100
2000	Orango	National Park	19
2000	João Vieira and Poilão Marine National Park	Marine National Park	35

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest		84
Savanna		8
Artificial/Terrestrial		3
Shrubland		2
Unknown		2

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
nature conservation and research	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Arquipélago dos Bijagós (Guinea-Bissau). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/arquipélago-dos-bijagós-iba-guinea-bissau on 23/11/2024.