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• Text account
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• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2004 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
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata	LC	breeding	2000	20-30 breeding pairs	B2
Little Swift Apus affinis	LC	breeding	-	150 breeding pairs	B2
Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita	EN	breeding	2002	55 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, B2
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	non-breeding	2001	550 individuals	A1, B1i
Pallid Scops-owl Otus brucei	LC	breeding	-	1-5 breeding pairs	B2
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis	LC	breeding	-	5-10 breeding pairs	B2
Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis	LC	breeding	-	20 breeding pairs	B2
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus	LC	breeding	-	5-20 breeding pairs	B2
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea	NT	breeding	2001	50 breeding pairs	A1, B2

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2004).

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	Semidesert	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - agro-industry farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - motivation unknown/unrecorded	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	mining and quarrying	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - large dams	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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

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)
Birecik Lake Wetland	Other Area	0	protected area contained by site	0
Birecik Firat YHGS	Wildlife Development Area	0	unknown	0

The Local Conservation Groups listed below are working to support conservation at this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Doğa Kültür ve Yaşatma Derneği	2011

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Desert	Semidesert	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams	-
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Urban parks and gardens	-

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

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
energy production and mining	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Southern Euphrates Valley and Birecik Plains. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/southern-euphrates-valley-and-birecik-plains-iba-turkey on 26/09/2023.