Data Zone
Country/territory: Timor-Leste
IBA criteria met: A1, A2 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 41,868 ha
Site description (2007 baseline)
Formerly this area was described as “one of the last forested lowland coastal areas on Timor and preserves a rare habitat type (lowland alluvial forest and savannah)” with “moderately high biodiversity values” (FAO/UNDP 1982). The habitats in the IBA currently include a band of seasonally flooded coastal swamp forest dominated by Canarium spp., secondary dry forest and the extensive nationally significant freshwater lake (c.10 km2) of Modo Mahut, and extensive grassland converted from alluvial forest in the Modo Mahut area, and hinterland of Welaluhu and Natarbora villages (Mauro 2003). This area is known in Indonesian as ‘Hutan Metiboat’ (RTK 34) (Ora 2000).
Key biodiversity
Twenty-five 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 (Mauro 2003).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sungai Klere (Timor-Leste). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sungai-klere-iba-timor-leste on 22/11/2024.