Paitchau
Gunung Paitchau
View west along the Paitchau Range from near Tutuala
Highest point
Elevation	960 m (3,150 ft)
Coordinates	8°30′17″S 127°09′52″E / 8.504722°S 127.164444°E / -8.504722; 127.164444
Geography
Paitchau Location in East Timor
Location	Lautém District, East Timor

Paitchau (also Gunung Paitchau, or Paitchao, or Paitxau; locally, Pai Tekau Ile) is a mountain in the Tutuala subdistrict, Lautém District of East Timor.^[1] Situated within Nino Konis Santana National Park, it is south of Lake Ira Lalaro. Though part of a mountain chain, Paitchau is an isolated mountain in the southern Sucos Mehara. It ranges in altitude from 0–960 metres (0–3,150 ft). BirdLife International has classified the mountain and its surrounding region of 55,797 hectares (137,880 acres) as an Important Bird Area of East Timor.^[2] The area contained within the Paitchau Range and Ira Lalaro is sparsely populated and contains several unique faunal and floral species.^[3]

Paitchau is a sharp peak, prominent from the southwest.^[4] The hill range is located in the extreme eastern part of Timor-Leste and it slopes towards the coastline of Lore and Silvicola which have coral reefs. The area is thinly populated and has diverse flora and fauna.^[5] Its slopes are steep and the southern part of the range towards the coast is thickly forested.^[6] The range rises to a maximum height of 960 metres (3,150 ft)^[2] or 1,030 metres (3,380 ft) and is made up of massive primary karst limestone formations.^[7]

Paitchau is characterized by tropical moist deciduous lowland forest and tropical mixed evergreen forest. There is swamp land around Ira Lalaro. Paitchau is said to contain "the best remaining 'primary’ forest" in the country.^[8]

Avifauna

There are 24 restricted-range species (listed below) in the Important Bird Area which includes the endangered Treron psittaceus (Timor green-pigeon), and the critically endangered Cacatua sulphurea (yellow-crested cockatoo).^[2]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Paitchau.

• Bird, Eric (2010). Encyclopedia of the World's Coastal Landforms. Springer. ISBN 978-1-4020-8638-0.
• Hydrographic Dept (1983). Indonesia pilot. Great Britain. Hydrographer of the Navy.
• Miksic, John N.; Goh, Geok Yian; O'Connor, Sue (2011). Rethinking Cultural Resource Management in Southeast Asia: Preservation, Development, and Neglect. Anthem Press. ISBN 978-0-85728-389-4.
• Tiwary, Shiv Shanker; Choudhary, P.S. (1 January 2009). Encyclopaedia Of Southeast Asia And Its Tribes (Set Of 3 Vols.). Anmol Publications Pvt. Ltd. ISBN 978-81-261-3837-1.