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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1994 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	winter (1975–1979)	209–412 birds	B1i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter (1979)	13 birds	B1i, B2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (1975)	2,500 birds	A4i, B1i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	breeding (1977–1981)	20 pairs	A1, B2
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (1975–1979)	20,000 birds	A4iii

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of area covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Not assessed	very low

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	major (>10)
Desert	major (>10)
Grassland	major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	major (>10)
rangeland/pastureland	minor (<10)
agriculture	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Attariya Plains (Iraq). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/attariya-plains-iba-iraq on 23/12/2024.