Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A mesotrophic, spring-fed, natural lake (its area is variously quoted as being from 50 ha to c.800 ha) together with the surrounding 'clay' desert, c.50 km east of Al-Hasakah and between the small settlements of Khatuniyah and Al-Hul (6 km from the international border). The mean depth of the lake is or was 8 m, and the vegetation includes
Tamarix. The lake is used for fishing, hunting and recreation, and the surrounding area for grazing.
See box for key species. Other breeding species include
Alectoris chukar and
Pterocles alchata, and small numbers of
Anser albifrons and ducks are present in winter. Passage migrants include
Tachybaptus ruficollis, and large numbers of
Streptopelia turtur.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Canis lupus (V), Gazella subgutturosa (rare).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Despite the lack of recent ornithological information and the conversion to cultivation of very large areas of steppeland and wetlands in the Jazirah region, these wetlands are known to still exist. No site protection measures are known to have been taken. The governorate authorities have banned or restricted the hunting of
Alectoris chukar and
Pterocles alchata; however, some uncontrolled hunting is said to still occur. There is over-fishing, and the surrounding area is heavily grazed by feral donkeys.
Tilapia fish have been introduced. The site was proposed as a Project Aqua conservation site by the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform in the late 1960s.
Data-sheet compiled by Dr Ibrahim Hanna and Dr Amer Majid Agha (translated by S. Zaiane).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Buhayrat al-Khatuniyah (Syria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/buhayrat-al-khatuniyah-iba-syria on 22/12/2024.
