Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A group of 13 islands extending westward from Jazirat ad Dimaniyah (23°50'N 58°10'E) to Jazirat Jun (23°50'N 57°59'E), in the Gulf of Oman north-west of As Seeb, with surrounding coral reefs, shoals and rocky outcrops. The islands themselves have a total area of less than 100 ha.
See box for key species. The second most important seabird breeding colonies in Oman after the Juzor al Halaaniyaat (site 024). Other breeding species include
Phaethon aethereus (6–13 pairs; max. 32 birds offshore in July),
Egretta gularis (6 pairs),
Pandion haliaetus (min. 4 pairs),
Sterna bergii (2+ pairs) and
Anous stolidus (c.30 pairs; max. 200 birds offshore, May).
Non-bird biodiversity: Reptiles: sea-turtles Eretmochelys imbricata (E) and Chelonia mydas (E) nest on beaches.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
General public access during the seabird and sea-turtle breeding season (May–October) is banned by order of the Diwan of Royal Court; licenses to visit are issued by the Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Environment. Guards are stationed on the largest island, but in spite of this overexploitation of seabird and sea-turtle eggs for food by fishermen continues to be a major problem, with resulting excessive disturbance of colonies. Visits by small boats for recreation are frequent (causing disturbance to breeding birds). Introduction of feral cats
Felis is a critical threat. The site is a proposed National Nature Reserve.
Data-sheet compiled by Simon Albrecht; summary bird data supplied by Oman Bird Records Committee (per Jens Eriksen).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Daymaniyat Islands (Oman). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/daymaniyat-islands-iba-oman on 23/11/2024.
