Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A huge, extinct volcanic crater, the largest of many within a huge basalt lava field which covers much of southern Syria and northern Jordan. Jabal Sis (Sies) lies near the eastern edge of the basalt, 100 km east-south-east of Damascus and 55 km south of the main road running east from Damascus to Iraq. The volcano rises about 100 m above the surrounding plain. Spring rain lies in small lakes and pools in scattered pans of impermeable clay, and there is a rain-fed lake at the foot of Jabal Sis itself. Vegetation is sparse. The terrain is impassable to vehicles except along tracks, of which there are few. Nomadic pastoralists graze large flocks in the area in spring and early summer.
See box for key species. Proven or probable breeding species include
Cursorius cursor (common),
Charadrius leschenaultii (see box; large numbers have been seen at rain-flooded pans in March and May: almost certainly a breeding summer visitor),
Eremophila bilopha,
Oenanthe deserti,
Corvus ruficollis and
Rhodopechys githaginea. The area also holds a thinly spread resident population of a dark form of
Oenanthe lugens, which occurs only on the basalt plains of Syria, Jordan and northern Saudi Arabia.
Pterocles orientalis (150, December) and
P. alchata (c.300, March) occur in good numbers in winter/spring.
Non-bird biodiversity: No information.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The area is too remote and inhospitable to be much threatened, though the bringing in of water in barrels has increased grazing and there is some shooting of sandgrouse in winter.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
The new site has benefited from several construction on the seasonal watercourses and runoff to harvest water and create better environment to the Bedouins. However, this has also attracted good numbers of birds of various conservation importance.
Data-sheet compiled by M. I. Evans.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Jabal Sis (Syria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/jabal-sis-iba-syria on 23/11/2024.
