MA046
Dakhla area


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):
Species Current IUCN Red List Category Season Year(s) Population estimate at site IBA criteria met
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus LC resident 1999 present A3
Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus LC resident 1999 present A3
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius LC breeding 1999 present A3
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres LC winter - 700 individuals A4i
Sanderling Calidris alba LC winter - 1,200 individuals A4i
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus LC winter - 6,000 individuals A4i
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis LC winter - 2,800 individuals A4i
Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus LC resident 1999 present A3
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes LC resident 1999 present A3
Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura LC resident 1999 present A3
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti LC resident 1999 present A3
Pale Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta LC resident 1999 present A3
White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga LC resident 1999 present A3
Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens LC resident 1999 present A3
Desert Sparrow Passer simplex LC resident 1999 present A3
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus LC resident 1999 present A3

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2001).


IBA Protection

Protected area (PA) PA designation PA area (ha) Relationship of PA with IBA Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Dakhla National Park 1,888,889 is identical to site 0

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
hunting -
military -
tourism/recreation -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dakhla area. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dakhla-area-iba-morocco on 10/12/2023.