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The Pedra Badejo lagoons Important Bird Area is in the Cape Verde archipelago, lying 600 km off the coast of north-west Africa in the Atlantic Ocean. It is a 200 ha site comprising two brackish lagoons and their surrounds, lying just south of the town of Pedra Badejo on the north-east coast of the island of Santiago. The lagoons have been recognised as a wetland of international importance by designation under the Ramsar Convention.
Description
The area around the lagoons is intensively cultivated with coconuts, sugarcane, bananas, cassava and various vegetables. The permanent lagoons lie at the mouth of three seasonal watercourses which, when in flood during the wet season, deposit large amounts of mud and debris in the lagoons, making them attractive to waterbirds such as waders and herons. The site also supports a population of endangered Cape Verde warblers and has been identified as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International.