Country/territory: Timor-Leste
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 37,486 hectares (374.86 km2)
Site description (2007 baseline)
Described as “steep mountains and hills covered in rather stunted ultra basic forests, disturbed in the lower parts but quite well formed on the summits” (FAO/UNDP (1982). This area was considered one of the three highest priorities for conservation of biodiversity in Timor-Leste by FAO/UNDP (1982), and with high socio-economic value such as watershed maintenance. Known in Indonesian as ‘Hutan Querelau Lauberio’ (RTK 11) (Ora 2000). The habitat is described as semi-evergreen monsoon forest, locally heavily degraded and now mostly confined to the upper ridges, with grazed Eucalyptus woodland elsewhere on the ridges (Mauro 2003).
Key biodiversity
Fourteen restricted-range species have been recorded in this IBA, including the Endangered Timor Imperial-pigeon and Timor Green-pigeon, and the Critically Endangered Yellow-crested Cockatoo also occurs there (Mauro 2003).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Monte Diatuto (Timor-Leste). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/monte-diatuto-iba-timor-leste on 22/12/2024.