The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2000 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Species |
Red List1 |
Season |
Year(s) |
Size |
IBA criteria |
Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
100–500 pairs |
A3 |
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
frequent |
A3 |
Crowned Sandgrouse Pterocles coronatus |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
frequent |
A3 |
Desert Tawny Owl Strix hadorami |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
10–20 pairs |
A3, B3 |
Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
2–4 pairs |
A3 |
Bearded Vulture Gypaetus barbatus |
NT |
non-breeding |
1985 |
1 birds |
B2 |
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus |
EN |
non-breeding |
1995 |
1–3 birds |
B2 |
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
6–12 pairs |
B2 |
Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos |
EN |
non-breeding |
1981–1993 |
1 birds |
B2 |
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni |
LC |
breeding |
1995 |
24–28 pairs |
A1, B2 |
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor |
VU |
breeding |
1995 |
5 pairs |
A3 |
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
common |
A3 |
Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
common |
A3 |
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Arabian Lark Eremalauda eremodites |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
frequent |
A3 |
Upcher's Warbler Hippolais languida |
LC |
breeding |
1995 |
200–400 pairs |
A3, B3 |
Pale Rock Martin Ptyonoprogne obsoleta |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Streaked Scrub-warbler Scotocerca inquieta |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Arabian Warbler Curruca leucomelaena |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
1–10 pairs |
A3, B3 |
Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Spectacled Warbler Curruca conspicillata |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Arabian Babbler Argya squamiceps |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
100–500 pairs |
A3, B3 |
Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
50–500 pairs |
B3 |
Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
5–20 pairs |
A3, B3 |
Desert Wheatear Oenanthe deserti |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
common |
A3 |
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica |
LC |
breeding |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Blackstart Oenanthe melanura |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
White-crowned Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus |
LC |
non-breeding |
1995 |
10–100 birds |
B3 |
Pale Sparrow Carpospiza brachydactyla |
LC |
breeding |
1995 |
1–10 pairs |
A3 |
Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
500–1,000 pairs |
B2 |
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus |
LC |
resident |
1993 |
present |
A3 |
Syrian Serin Serinus syriacus |
VU |
resident |
1995 |
800 pairs |
A1, A2, A3, B2 |
Cretzschmar's Bunting Emberiza caesia |
LC |
breeding |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
Striolated Bunting Emberiza striolata |
LC |
resident |
1995 |
present |
A3 |
A4iv Species group - soaring birds/cranes |
n/a |
passage |
1994–1995 |
6,866–8,637 birds |
B1iv |