Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
Site location and context
This area includes the foothills located approximately 12 km southwest of the town of Chamchamal.
The site is located in the Moist Steppe Zone, where the geology consists of sandstones, clay and sandy gravels, and the soil type is sandy clay.
Additional Important Bird Observations: A total of 64 bird species were seen during the survey period. Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (Vulnerable) was observed in winter; the site held breeding populations of two Mediterranean, three Irano-Turanian and three Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species but these did not trigger inclusion under criterion A3.
Other Important Fauna: There have been reports of Goitered Gazelle Gazella subgutturosa (Vulnerable) being hunted in the area. Not enough data were collected under the rapid assessment.
Fish: This site has a small, shallow stream. Data were collected in 2007 and 2008, and three significant species were observed: Acanthobrama marmaid, Alburnus mossulensis, and Garra rufa.
Additional Plant & Habitat Information: This site contains some plants which are important as genetic resources including Triticum aestivum, Triticum durum, and Hordeum vulgare ssp. Spontaneum
Main habitat is steppe but the botanical survey evaluated an area of the Riverine Forest of the Plains (Al-Ahrash) along the stream.
The non-vegetated area covered about 50% of the site. A small seasonal stream (Khra Azizy) runs southwards through the area. There are also small drainages running between the hills made by seasonal rainfall. Farming is heavily practiced and hunting pressure is high.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This is an important plain areas in Iraq and is under serious threat from agriculture and hunting. Field crops and vegetable fields were observed throughout, and livestock grazing had a noticeable impact. The site is further affected by picnicking (people were seen cooking and throwing garbage in the site), human intrusion and transportation threats (all considered high).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Chamchamal (Iraq). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/chamchamal-iba-iraq on 23/11/2024.
