Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
Site location and context
Waraz is a valley surrounded by mountains and villages, including Kanarwe, Ballikhy, and Betwate. To the south the Kanarwe River flows from the Penjween Area (including waters from IQ032) towards Kuna Masi River (also called Chami Chwarta River), a tributary of the Lesser Zab.
Further northwest is the forested mountainous area known as Kuradawe (named for the largest village in the area). Kuna Masi stream flows north to the west of the site and there area other streams that flow to join it through the area. This part of the site is surrounded by the villages of Amaden, Dashty Tile and Pirahmad, Bewre, Gomle, Basne, and Saraw and extends less than 1 km north of Kuradawe Village. There are farmlands, orchards, and vineyards, which mainly produce grapes, walnuts, pears and almonds
Additional Important Bird Observations: A total of 40 species was seen. Breeding populations of four Irano-Turanian, three Mediterranean, one Eurasian High-Montane and one Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species were found but did not trigger inclusion under criterion A3. No other significant observation were made for non-avian fauna.
The main habitat types were oak woodlands and mountain riverine forest. The site is located in the Zagros Range, where the geology is basic igneous rock, radiolarian chert, siliceous and calcareous shale, and metamorphic schist and limestone of unknown age. The soil type is often serpentine and in fact this site is one of the most important serpentine areas in the Kurdistan region. Platanus orientalis and walnut trees dominate most of the valley but agricultural fields cover parts as well and there is also gravel mining that affects the area in and around the rivers. The area is also popular for picnicking.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats considered very high were agriculture (livestock production/grazing/farming) and human intrusion (picnicking particularly near Kuradawe village), which in turn causes pollution, such as garbage dumped in and around the streams (the latter was considered a medium threat). Hunting pressure is high in the area. Gravel mines are impacting the stream and the land around it, and were considered a medium threat as they are limited in scope. Road construction and residential development are under way (especially close to the villages), which were judged as medium threats but may become more urgent if not controlled properly.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kuradawe and Waraz (Iraq). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kuradawe-and-waraz-iba-iraq on 23/11/2024.
