Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis | LC | passage (1991) | 200 birds | B1i |
| Western Reef-egret Egretta gularis | LC | resident (1991) | 10–100 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 pairs | B3 |
| White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa | LC | breeding (1991) | 10–100 pairs | B3 |
| White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa | LC | passage (1991) | 2,000 birds | B3 |
| Sooty Falcon Falco concolor | VU | breeding (1991) | 13 pairs | B2 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | breeding (1992) | 200,000–300,000 adults | A4iii |
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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | good | medium | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Desert | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Residential and commercial development | likely in short term (<4 years) | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>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 (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Hawar Islands | Marine Protected Area (II) | 22 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 22 | Hot |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
| 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 23/12/2024.