• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 1994 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
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	passage	1991	200 individuals	B1i
Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis	LC	resident	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B1i
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	VU	breeding	1992	200,000-300,000 adults	A1, A4i, B1i, B2
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B3
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B3
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	passage	1991	2,000 individuals	B3
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor	VU	breeding	1991	13 breeding pairs	B2
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1992	200,000-300,000 adults	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1994) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Desert	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1997	Hawar Islands	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	22
2003	Hawar Islands	Marine Protected Area	22

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Desert	Hot	22
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	80
military	20
tourism/recreation	15
fisheries/aquaculture	10

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hawar Islands (Bahrain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hawar-islands-iba-bahrain on 23/11/2024.