Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Jasiira Maydh or Mait island is located in the Gulf of Aden c.13 km offshore, to the north of the town of Maydh and hence adjacent to Daalo (site SO003). It is a little over 1.5 km in length with a maximum width of 300 m and an average height of 100 m. The long axis of the island is oriented from east-north-east to west-south-west. The island is steep-sided, rising abruptly out of the sea, and along the southern face rocky buttresses alternate with scree-filled gullies while the northern face is an unbroken precipice. The rock is granitic gneiss which is covered with guano deposits, and the surface is split in places by great fissures. The island is completely lacking in vegetation and there is no fresh water except after rain, of which there is only c.50 mm per year. The island lies within an area of seasonal coastal upwelling.
See Box for key species. In addition,
Phalacrocorax nigrogularis has been recorded while other breeding species include
Phaethon aethereus,
Sula dactylatra,
Sterna fuscata and
S. anaethetus (the latter two in ‘large numbers’). In the 1940s, the numbers of breeding birds present was estimated at c.100,000, but were reported then to be declining. The breeding season is June–September, after which nearly all birds leave.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The island has been proposed as a marine protected area. Guano is collected from the island, but traditionally only from October to April, i.e. when the birds are absent. During the breeding season the seas are generally too rough to permit boats to land, which prevents disturbance. Rats and snakes are present on the island.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Jasiira Maydh (Somalia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/jasiira-maydh-iba-somalia on 23/11/2024.
