Data Zone
Country/territory: Guinea
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4ii (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 1 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2001 | not assessed | medium | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
Ile Alcatraz (0.75 ha) is a lateritic rock islet on the continental shelf of the Atlantic Ocean, 40 km south-west of Iles Tristao (IBA GN004). The Ile de Naufrage (0.25 ha) is a sandbank 2 km south-west of Ile Alcatraz which is exposed even at high tide. Ile Alcatraz is unvegetated and covered with guano to a depth of about 3 m, which is the cause of its white appearance. The Ile de Naufrage is also unvegetated and reaches a maximum height of c.3 m above high water. The intertidal area is mainly sandy.
Key biodiversity
See Box for key species. Ile Alcatraz holds the only known breeding colony of Sula leucogaster between Cape Verde and São Tomé and Príncipe. There is breeding activity throughout the year. The Ile de Naufrage provides a roost for thousands of terns including Sterna maxima, S. hirundo, S. sandvicensis, S. albifrons and Chlidonias niger.
Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, the dolphin Sousa teuszi (DD) and the sirenian Trichechus senegalensis (VU) are reported from the area; sea-turtles also occur.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ile Alcatraz et Ile du Naufrage (Guinea). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ile-alcatraz-et-ile-du-naufrage-iba-guinea on 22/11/2024.