Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
The site includes the area from the coastline up to the top of the seacliffs, from the area of Carapacho to the lighthouse of Restinga. The cliffs are covered by macaronesean woodland and cobbles. Included is the islet Ilhéu de Baixo.
Important for seabirds, especially because of the most important concentration of the Madeiran Storm Petrel and an important colony of Roseate Tern. At Ilhéu de Baixo there are two distinct populations of Madeiran Storm Petrels - one breeding from September to February and the other breeding from April to September.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The islet of Ilhéu de Baixo is very disturbed by local leisure activities. Capture of Cory's Shearwaters (chicks and adults) is a common practice for fishermen. Feral terrestrial mammals (dogs, cats, rats and weasels) affect most of the seabirds, especially those who nest in holes and burrows. Invasive plant species like the cane reduces the available nesting habitat for seabirds. The absence of the establishment of the SPA by the regional law constitutes a weakness in its surveillance and legal protection.
National none
International Special Protection Area Ilhéu de Baixo; SCI Ilhéu de Baixo e Restinga.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ilhéu de Baixo e Costa Adjacente (Portugal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ilhéu-de-baixo-e-costa-adjacente-iba-portugal on 23/11/2024.
