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MZ011
Moebase region
Location Mozambique, Zambezia
Central coordinates 38o 44.00' East  17o 0.00' South
IBA criteria A1, A3
Area 40,000 ha
Altitude 0 - 50m
Year of IBA assessment 2001





Ornithological information See Box and Table 3 for key species. The variety of habitats support a high diversity of birdlife. Ardeola idae has been reported as a non-breeding winter visitor and the marshlands may be an important wintering site for the species. Circaetus fasciolatus and Anthreptes reichenowi are resident in the forests. Euplectes nigroventris (of the East African Coast biome) and Tockus pallidirostris (of the Zambezian biome) are not known from any other IBA in Mozambique. Regular wetland counts may reveal that numbers of some waterbird species exceed 1% threshold levels. Offshore islands have not yet been explored and may be important breeding grounds for seabirds.

Site description The site consists of the coastal region between Notocoto and Moebase and the adjoining hinterland. Habitats include intertidal flats, mangrove swamps, beaches and sand-dunes, grassland and marshes, evergreen forest and deciduous woodland. Human activities consist of fishing and subsistence agriculture.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Madagascar Pond-heron Ardeola idae winter  -  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Endangered 
Southern Banded Snake-eagle Circaetus fasciolatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Near Threatened 
Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Boehm's Bee-eater Merops boehmi resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Pale-billed Hornbill Tockus pallidirostris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Zululand Batis Batis fratrum resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Pale Batis Batis soror resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Chestnut-fronted Helmet-shrike Prionops scopifrons resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-bellied Tit Parus rufiventris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-bellied Glossy-starling Lamprotornis corruscus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Plain-backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Near Threatened 
Mouse-coloured Sunbird Nectarinia veroxii resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-breasted Sunbird Nectarinia talatala resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Zanzibar Bishop Euplectes nigroventris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Broad-tailed Paradise-whydah Vidua obtusa resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Shrubland   2%
Grassland   2%
Forest   95%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
fisheries/aquaculture -
not utilised -

Other biodiversity A project by the Port Elizabeth Museum (South Africa) is currently investigating the status of flora, reptiles and invertebrates. Descriptions of a new species of olympic snake (Dromophis sp.), dwarf day gecko (Lygodactylus sp.) and a new tree genus are in preparation. Larger mammals have mostly been hunted to extinction.

Management considerations Subsistence agriculture is making severe inroads into the Brachystegia woodlands. This is exacerbated by an influx of settlers to the area since the end of the civil war. The beaches may have provided breeding sites for turtles in the past, but if so these have been destroyed. The large concentration of fishermen raises concern about sustainability of the exploitation of marine resources.

References Branch and Branch (1998), Dold (1998).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Moebase region. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

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