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The site was identified as important in 2014 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
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	winter	2005-2010	1,800-12,000 individuals	A1, A4i
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	resident	2005-2010	100-150 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus	LC	resident	2005-2010	10 breeding pairs	A3
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius	LC	breeding	2005-2010	10 breeding pairs	A3
White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus	LC	resident	2005-2010	50 breeding pairs	A3
Basra Reed-warbler Acrocephalus griseldis	EN	breeding	2005-2010	2,000 breeding pairs	A1, A2, A3
White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis	LC	resident	2005-2010	10 breeding pairs	A3
Iraq Babbler Argya altirostris	LC	resident	2005-2010	1,000 breeding pairs	A2, A3
Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus	LC	breeding	2006-2007	20 breeding pairs	A3
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus	LC	resident	2005-2010	2,000 breeding pairs	A3, A4ii
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2005-2010	max 74,000 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2014) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2014. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Not assessed	negligible

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
2013	Central Marshes	National Park	72
2014	Central Marshes	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	86
2016	The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed)	46

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Central Marshes (Iraq). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/central-marshes-iba-iraq on 23/11/2024.