Data Zone
Country/territory: Oman
IBA criteria met: A4i, B1i (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 9,000 ha
Site description (1994 baseline)
About 300 km of exposed, sand beach coast facing the Gulf of Oman, extending from As Seeb north-westwards to Shinas. Khawrs (creeks) frequently occur at the mouths of drainage lines; most are transitory, appearing and disappearing according to the occurrence of strong tides and wadi-floods. (The following major khawrs occur within this area, but are dealt with separately due to their ornithological importance -- Kalba, Shinas, Liwa, Ra's/Juzor as Sawadi and Al Qurm -- sites 003, 004, 008 and 010 respectively.)
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. Important numbers of waterbirds occur in winter, especially large numbers of Calidris alba and roosting gulls and terns; the latter often concentrate at the small khawrs.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Simon Albrecht.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Al Batinah coast (Oman). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/al-batinah-coast-iba-oman on 23/11/2024.