Ribeira do Rabil Important Bird Area

The Ribeira do Rabil Important Bird Area is a wetland site in the Cape Verde archipelago, lying 600 km off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It has been recognised as a wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention.

The 300 ha site comprises the mouth of the seasonally flowing Ribeira do Rabil, or Ribeira Grande, with an associated lagoon, near the village of Rabil on the west coast of the island of Boa Vista. Ribeira do Rabil is the longest stream in Cape Verde along with its basin. It extends about 7 km eastwards from the coast to the road connecting Rabil with the island’s main town of Sal Rei. It is surrounded by mobile sand-dunes and vegetation dominated by Tamarix, Cyperus, Zygophyllum and Euphorbia species. The stream flows after rainfall in the wet season but, for most of the year, consists of a chain of brackish pools which gradually dry out through the dry season. The lagoon contains water throughout the year. The site also supports a population of Iago sparrows and was identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. The endemic lizards Hemidactylus bouvieri and Mabuya stangeri are present.

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