GW006
Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo


Country/territory: Guinea-Bissau

IBA criteria met: A1, A3, A4i, A4iii (2001)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 69,615 hectares (696.15 km2)


Site description (2001 baseline)
This site is situated on the south-east coast, near the town of Catió, and consists of the estuary of Rio Tombali, the coastal mudflats between the mouths of the Rio Tombali and the Rio Cumbijã and the Ilha de Melo which lies between the mouths of the Rio Cumbijã and the Rio Cacine, immediately to the east. The site includes 32,500 ha of sandflats and mudflats and c.45,000 ha of mangroves and drier woodland and forest.

Key biodiversity
See Box and Table 2 for key species. The total number of wintering waterbirds that use this area has been estimated at over 160,000.

Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal Trichechus senegalensis (VU) occurs.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rio Tombali, Rio Cumbijã and Ilha de Melo (Guinea-Bissau). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rio-tombali-rio-cumbijã-and-ilha-de-melo-iba-guinea-bissau on 23/12/2024.