• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2017 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter	2002-2017	4,000 individuals	B3a
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	non-breeding	2002-2017	50-975 individuals	B3a
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter	2002-2017	50-1,275 individuals	B3a

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2017) may differ.

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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	2,400	4,000	individuals	100	favourable
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	460	80	individuals	18	not assessed
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	500	650	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
2013	Al Wathba	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Waste-water treatment areas	100

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Al Wathba (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/al-wathba-iba-united-arab-emirates on 23/11/2024.