• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2007 baseline)
“A wild area of moist deciduous lowland forest with some mixed evergreen forest on the hills. The area [also] contains the interesting lake and swamps of Ira Lalaro” (FAO/UNDP 1982). There is an extensive intact range of habitats from the coast to karst hills lakes, rivers and swamps. Forest types include semi-evergreen, moist deciduous, dry deciduous, swamp forest and coastal strand vegetation. Sandlund et al. (2001) identified this area as having the best remaining ‘primary’ forest in Timor-Leste, based on a rapid reconnaissance by helicopter.

Key biodiversity
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 (Ora 2000, Trainor et al. 2004). Lake Iralalaro (c.1,500 ha) is the most significant freshwater site in Timor-Leste and Nusa Tenggara, supporting at least 50 waterbird species including large populations of ducks and rails (Trainor 2005).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Paitchau and Lake Iralalaro (Timor-Leste). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-paitchau-and-lake-iralalaro-iba-timor-leste on 23/12/2024.