Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A sandy sabkhah, some of which is flooded by exceptional tides, with salt-tolerant vegetation; associated intertidal mudflats are considered as part of site 005. Drainage water from a few nearby private chalets or an Entertainment Park flows across part of the site and supports 0.5 ha of
Phragmites reedbed. The reserve is bisected by a public lane to the chalets, and within it there is also a major outlet for seawater coolant used by Doha power-stations. Previously the site was used at weekends for picnics and recreation.
See box for key species. The salt-tolerant vegetation provides a favoured roost site for waders, especially in winter and during migration seasons. Important January counts include
Ardea cinerea (90),
Recurvirostra avosetta (85) and
Larus genei (900). About 70 species have been recorded; the site is not well-watched by local standards.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The entire reserve is fenced on the landward sides but some sections of fencing are broken at present and gates are permanently open. Some protection from hunters is provided on the seaward side by barbed wire of Iraqi defences, which remain in place.
Data-sheet compiled by Prof. C. W. T. Pilcher.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ad-Doha Nature Reserve (Kuwait). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ad-doha-nature-reserve-iba-kuwait on 24/11/2024.
