The
Important Bird Area (IBA) is a tract of land comprising much of the
massif dominated by the Mount Hachiroungou. The slopes of the mountain rise steeply to a triangular summit. From the peak, ridges extend to the north, east and south, forming the Dzoumonyé catchment's watershed. The IBA includes the upper slopes of Hachiroungou, which support mixed
montane forest, the southern and eastern ridges, and the Mapouéra valley between them. The partly forested slopes of the valley are steep and dissected with streams. The northern ridge (towards the peak of Mlima Dziani Bolé) is
deforested and excluded from the IBA. The massif is surrounded by
cultivation and padza (areas of heavily
degraded, largely unvegetated and agriculturally useless
laterite soils caused by former overuse of the land).
Fauna The IBA was identified as such by
BirdLife International because it supports populations of
Comoro olive-pigeons,
Comoro blue-pigeons,
Mayotte drongos,
Mayotte white-eyes and
Mayotte sunbirds. It is also home to
Robert Mertens's day geckos,
island day geckos and
Pasteur's day geckos. ==References==