Marawah Island


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2017 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 List1 Season Year(s) Size IBA criteria
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola VU winter 1994-2017 610-932 individuals B3a
Charadrius mongolus NR winter 1994-2017 1,530-1,939 individuals B3a
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica NT winter 1994-2017 1,050-1,704 individuals B1a, B3a
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica NT passage 1994-1995 1,130-1,619 individuals B1a, B3a
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris EN winter 1993-2001 130-282 individuals A1, B3a
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris EN passage 1993-1995 200-603 individuals A1, B3a
Crab-plover Dromas ardeola LC winter 1994-1998 366-528 individuals B2a

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2017) may differ.


IBA Conservation

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2017. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2017 favourable low high
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes habitat medium

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species Reference Actual Units % remaining Result
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola 610 150 individuals 25 very unfavourable
Charadrius mongolus 1,500 1,100 individuals 74 near favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica 1,050 440 individuals 42 unfavourable
Great Knot Calidris tenuirostris 100 130 individuals 100 favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat Quantity (% remaining) Quality (% carrying capacity) Result
Marine Intertidal good (> 90%) good (> 90%) favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Human intrusions and disturbance happening now small area/few individuals (<10%) slow but significant deterioration low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas Management plan Other action Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity high

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation % overlap with IBA
2007 Marawah Protected Area 100
2007 Marawah UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 100

Habitats

Habitat1 Habitat detail % of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal major (>10)
Marine Intertidal major (>10)
Forest Subtropical & tropical mangrove minor (<10)
Marine Neritic minor (<10)
1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use

Land use % of IBA
nature conservation and research 100

Land ownership




Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Marawah Island (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/marawah-island-iba-united-arab-emirates on 22/11/2024.