Data Zone
Country/territory: Cape Verde
IBA criteria met: A4ii (2016)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 257,543 ha
Site description (2012 baseline)
This Marine IBA is identified using seaward extensions around breeding colonies. It originates from the Cape Verde Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and falls within the Atlantic, Eastern Central FAO ocean region. The site covers an area of 2089 km2 and borders the coastline. The depth ranges from 0 to 3024 m, with a mean annual wind speed of 1.78 m/s, mean annual sea surface temperature falls between 23.9 and 24.4 °C and mean annual chlorophyll-a concentrations found to range between 0.24 and 0.41 mg/m3.
Key biodiversity
2 species trigger IBA criteria at this Marine IBA. Seaward extensions around breeding colonies; Central mountain range of Ilha de São Nicolau, Ilhéu Raso include key near-colony areas for breeding populations of Red-billed Tropicbird (LC) 75-120 individuals and Fea's Petrel (NT) 90-90 individuals.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Raso / São Nicolau - marine (Cape Verde). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/raso--são-nicolau--marine-iba-cape-verde on 22/11/2024.