Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2017 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis | LC | non-breeding (2005–2017) | 50–200 individuals | B3a |
| Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | LC | breeding (2005–2017) | 500–1,400 breeding pairs | A4, B2a, B3a |
| Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi | LC | breeding (2005–2017) | 10–20 breeding pairs | B2a |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2017. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2017 | favourable | low | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | medium | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Charadrius mongolus | 500 / 1,190 (individuals) | 43 | not assessed | ||
| Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | 1,000 / 950 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi | 20 / 50 (breeding pairs) | 40 | not assessed | ||
| White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa | 30 / 300 (breeding pairs) | 10 | not assessed | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Some of site covered (10–49%) | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Abu al Abyadh island | Private Reserve (-) | - |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | minor (<10) | |
| Forest | minor (<10) | Subtropical & tropical mangrove |
| Marine Neritic | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | minor (<10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Abu Al Abyad Island (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/abu-al-abyad-island-iba-united-arab-emirates on 25/01/2025.