Current view: Text account
Site description (2022 baseline):
Site location and context
Curral Velho Islet is located to the south of the island of Boa Vista, opposite Curral Velho beach, northeast of Ponta do Pesqueiro Grande. It is a small islet that does not exceed a maximum altitude of 5 meters above sea level, composed mainly of limestone material very fragmented by marine action, with coastal morphological characteristics such as hollow spaces and natural cavities better known as “taffoni”.
The main threats are the direct capture of seabirds, frequent visits and disturbances from recreational and tourist vessels.
Non-seabird taxa include presence of skinks (Chioninia spinalis boavistensis) and gecko (Hemidactylus boavistensis). The island also hosts breeding populations of the seabirds: Sula leucogaster, Hydrobates jabejabe, just a few couples of Phaethon aethereus and potentially Puffinus lherminieri boydi (to confirm)
Ministry of Agriculture and Environment; Delegation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment in Boa Vista; Protect Area Office of Boa Vista; MAVA Foundation; BirdLife Internantion; Cabeolica; Universidade de Barcelona . Site identified during the MAVA funded project: "Conserving the seabirds of Cabo Verde" (2020 - 2022). Partner consultation supported by Ana Veiga (BirdLife Project Manager, Cabo Verde) and Jonathan Handley (BirdLife, UK). Site identification supported by: Samir Martins (BIOS.CV), Herculano Dinis (Projecto Vitó), Albert Taxonera (Associação Projeto Biodiversidade), Marcos Hernández (Associação Projeto Biodiversidade), Isabel Fortes (Biosfera), Catelene Monteiro (Biosfera), Pedro Geraldes (SPEA ), Ariana Cabral (Lantuna), Jacob González-Solís (University of Barcelona), Teresa Militão (University of Barcelona), Vitor Paiva (University of Coimbra).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ilhéu de Curral Velho and adjacent coastal area (Cape Verde). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ilhéu-de-curral-velho-and-adjacent-coastal-area-iba-cape-verde on 23/11/2024.
