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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
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	passage	1991	200 individuals	B1i
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	resident	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B1i
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	VU	breeding	1992	200,000-300,000 adults	A1, A4i, B1i, B2
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B3
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B3
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	passage	1991	2,000 individuals	B3
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor	VU	breeding	1991	13 breeding pairs	B2
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1992	200,000-300,000 adults	A4iii

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

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Desert		0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	storms and floods	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - named species	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	problematic native species/diseases - named species	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Hawar Islands	Marine Protected Area	5,140	protected area contained by site	5,140
Hawar Islands	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	5,140	protected area contained by site	5,140

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Desert	Hot	-
Marine Neritic		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

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

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
military	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
tourism/recreation	-
not utilised	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hawar Islands. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hawar-islands-iba-bahrain on 03/10/2023.