Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This site is situated around the town of En Nahud, south-west of El Obeid. It is an area of old fixed red sand-dunes (‘goz’ soil), vegetated principally with shrubs and scattered trees in which
Acacia senegal is dominant. The limits of this habitat are clearly defined by an abrupt change in soil-type and an accompanying change in vegetation;
Acacia senegal disappears and
Dalbergia melanoxylon becomes common. Although the limits of the IBA remain undefined, it includes the area west and south of En Nahud to Ghubeish and El Odaiya, and east towards El Obeid.
See Box and Table 2 for key species. Flocks of up to, and sometimes exceeding, 100
Falco naumanni overwinter; the species is particularly abundant in years when tree locusts
Anacridium spp., which feed almost exclusively on
Acacia senegal, are common.
Circus macrourus also winters commonly in the area. Of particular interest is
Mirafra cordofanica, a Sahel biome species which is restricted to grassy openings in bushy areas on ‘goz’ soil. It is one of the commonest birds in the area. One species characteristic of the Sahara–Sindian biome (A02) and three of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) have also been recorded (see Table 2).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Bustards suffer a heavy hunting pressure in the area and
Ardeotis arabs is likely to be under severe pressure. Clearance of woodland habitats and overgrazing are so far restricted to relatively small areas around En Nahud itself and the other major settlements in the area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: En Nahud (Sudan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/en-nahud-iba-sudan on 23/12/2024.
