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

Site description (1994 baseline)
A barrage on the River Euphrates c.5 km south of Al Musayyib and c.65 km south of Baghdad. In 1934 there were a few marshy spots and pools near the river, with Salix patches, extensive fruit and vegetable gardens and date-palm groves, and further away open irrigated land with corn and scrub. .

Key biodiversity
There is little information from the site since the 1930s. Other breeding species included Podiceps nigricollis, Circus aeruginosus (common), Porphyrio porphyrio (common), Glareola pratincola, Cursorius cursor, Vanellus leucurus (common), Larus genei, Sterna hirundo (large colonies) and Halcyon smyrnensis (abundant). Calidris minuta occurred in large numbers on passage.

Non-bird biodiversity: No information available to BirdLife International.

2014 updates. Additional Important Bird Observation: During the survey, 28 bird species were observed. In addition to those listed in the table above, the site supported two breeding Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species but these did not trigger inclusion under the A3 criterion. The endemic race of Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis and endemic race of Hooded Crow Corvus cornix capellanus (also known as Mesopotamian Crow) breed at the site. Hunters and locals reported that Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris breeds. Other Important Fauna: No observations were made at this site but local reports suggested the presence of wild cats and foxes (species could not be distinguished).There was no fish survey, but fishermen report the presence of the introduced species Tilapia zillii.

Acknowledgements
Information compiled by D. J. Brooks, reviewed by Dr Khalid Y. Al-Dabbagh and Dr Hanna Y. Siman.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hindiya Barrage (Iraq). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hindiya-barrage-iba-iraq on 23/11/2024.