Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
Agricultural plains between Irbid and Mafraq, with dry and irrigated cultivation of cereals.
See box for key species. Breeding species include
Charadrius leschenaultii. Wintering species include
Grus grus and probably
Eudromias morinellus.
Non-bird biodiversity: Flora: Verbascum transjordanicum (endemic), Biarum eximum (rare) and Narcissus tazetta (experiencing collecting pressure).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There may be one or more Grazing Reserves in the area. The area was formerly semi-natural grassland, but little or none is likely to survive now. Expansion and intensification of agriculture, and over-extraction of groundwater for irrigation, are likely to be major problems. The levels of grazing and built development may be very heavy, and abandonment of traditional management may be occurring locally. The site is not well characterized at the moment, and is very little known ornithologically. The lack of surveys to identify the extent of remaining semi-natural grassland, and the composition of the bird community, hinders evaluation of conservation priorities.
Information compiled by J. al-Joundi & A. Budieri.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Irbid - Mafraq plains (Jordan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/irbid--mafraq-plains-iba-jordan on 25/12/2024.
