Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
A large area with a variety of vegetation communities including tall lowland tropical evergreen forest, dry and moist deciduous forests, tidal/mangrove forests, coastal forests, and a suite of coastal strand communities (Cowie 2006). This area is by far the largest example of this assemblage of habitat types in Timor-Leste (and Timor Island). It is located amongst teak plantations, rice fields and swidden agriculture.
Twenty-four restricted-range species have been recorded in this IBA, including the Endangered Timor Green-pigeon, and the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo also occurs there (FAO/UNDP 1982, Ora 2000, Trainor et al. 2004).
A large area with a variety of vegetation communities including tall lowland tropical evergreen forest, dry and moist deciduous forests, tidal/mangrove forests, coastal forests, and a suite of coastal strand communities (Cowie 2006). This area is by far the largest example of this assemblage of habitat types in Timor-Leste (and Timor Island). It is located amongst teak plantations, rice fields and swidden agriculture.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
In 2005–2006 well organised illegal timber harvesting was having a substantial impact on much of the coastal forest. The illegal logging was stopped after intervention by the Prime Minister but the site remains vulnerable. Conversion by swidden agriculture is also a threat. It is hoped these threats will decline with the establishment of the National
Park and development and implementation of a joint government-community-based management and education and awareness programme.
Gazetted as a Forest Reserve by the Portuguese government in 1967, and proposed by FAO/UNDP (1982) as a Wildlife Sanctuary (with reportedly relatively low biodiversity value). FAO/UNDP (1982) considered that this site, Mount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro (IBA TL07) and Jaco Island (IBA TL08) might be combined into a single protected area, possibly with the status of National Park. Lore was recognised by UNTAET (2000) as a Protected Wild Area under Regulation Number 2000/19. This IBA (together with IBAs TL07 and TL08 and other adjacent terrestrial and marine areas) has just been declared by the Government of Timor-Leste as Nino Konis Santana National Park.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lore (Timor-Leste). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lore-iba-timor-leste on 22/11/2024.
