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The site was identified as important in 1994 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
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	LC	winter	1991	467-528 individuals	B1i
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	resident	1991	186 breeding pairs	B1i
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	winter	1991	334-435 individuals	B1i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	1991	4,850-5,340 individuals	A4i, B1i
Haematopus ostralegus	NR	winter	1991	495 individuals	B1i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	winter	1991	318-390 individuals	B1i
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	LC	passage	1991	1,469 individuals	A4i, B1i
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	LC	winter	1991	1,708-1,716 individuals	A4i, B1i
Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus	LC	passage	1991	2,580 individuals	A4i, B1i
Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus	LC	winter	1991	243-2,160 individuals	A4i, B1i
Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii	LC	winter	1991	901-3,496 individuals	A4i, B1i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter	1991	1,844-2,755 individuals	A4i, B1i
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	LC	winter	1991	183-206 individuals	A4i, B1i
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	1991	1,820-2,336 individuals	A4i, B1i
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	passage	1991	5,136 individuals	A4i, B1i
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	1991	1,795-3,277 individuals	A4i, B1i
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	LC	passage	1991	1,505 individuals	A4i, B1i
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	LC	winter	1991	948-1,104 individuals	A4i, B1i
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris	EN	passage	1991	108 individuals	A4i, B1i
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	LC	winter	1991	331-645 individuals	A4i, B1i
Dunlin Calidris alpina	LC	winter	1991	6,527-7,800 individuals	A4i, B1i
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus	LC	passage	1991	2,895 individuals	B1i
Terek Sandpiper Xenus cinereus	LC	winter	1991	1,415-1,670 individuals	B1i
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	1991	4,900-4,955 individuals	B1i
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	winter	1991	3,641-4,480 individuals	A4i, B1i
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans	LC	winter	1991	1,632-2,840 individuals	B1i
Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus	LC	breeding	1991	10,000 nests	A4i, B1i
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	LC	winter	1991	236-424 individuals	A4i, B1i
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	breeding	1991	1,250 nests	B3
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	winter	1991	315-419 individuals	A4i, B1i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1991	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1991	11,436 breeding pairs	A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (1994).

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Residential and commercial development	commercial and industrial development	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Not assessed	low

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Marine Neritic		-
Artificial/Terrestrial		-
Forest		-
Marine Intertidal		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
urban/industrial/transport	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tarut Bay. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tarut-bay-iba-saudi-arabia on 01/12/2023.