Data Zone
Country/territory: Mauritania
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4iii (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 100 ha
Site description (2001 baseline)
Gabou is located in the far west of the Tagant on the border with the Brakna. It is approximately 110 km south-west of Tidjikja. It is a large wetland depression on the northern end of the oued that connects it to Tâmourt en Na’âj further south (site MR015). Its size varies from year to year depending on the volume of rainfall received by the watershed. The vegetation typical of the area includes Acacia raddiana, A. ehrenbergiana, Capparis decidua,Leptadenia pyrotechnica, Maerua crassifolia, Hyoscyamus muticus, Tamarix sp., Salvadora persica, Balanites aegyptiaca, Panicum turgidum and Cenchrus biflorus.
Key biodiversity
In the years it receives adequate rainfall, Gabou is an important wetland habitat for Afrotropical and Palearctic waterbirds. Other species observed in large numbers include Anas querquedula (14,000), Anas acuta (6,000), Dendrocygna viduata (8,000), D. bicolor (600), Plegadis falcinellus (800) and Plectropterus gambensis (1,200).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gabou (Mauritania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gabou-iba-mauritania on 24/11/2024.