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

Site description (1994 baseline)
Lying on the Persian Gulf coast 100 km south-south-east of Bushire, the site comprises the Monde Protected Area which encompasses the lower reaches and delta of the Monde river, the adjacent sandy plains and low rocky hills, and a large creek system and extensive area of well-vegetated coastal dunes to the south. In its lower reaches, the river meanders across a broad sandy plain with steppic vegetation and has created a number of long, thin oxbow lakes with some marsh vegetation and Tamarix scrub. Other habitats include wide sandy beaches, intertidal mudflats with sand spits and low sandy islets, small areas of irrigated wheat cultivation, and low rocky hills almost unvegetated except in gullies. Wetland covers c.26,870 ha. The region is very sparsely populated and little disturbed. The land is publicly owned.

Key biodiversity
See box for key species. An important wintering area for Phalacrocorax carbo, Phoenicopterus ruber, Grus grus (112), shorebirds, gulls and terns. Pterocles alchata breeds. Winter visitors include Tadorna tadorna, Buteo rufinus, Pandion haliaetus and Falco peregrinus. Uncommon passage migrants include Bubulcus ibis and Buteo buteo.

Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Gazella subgutturosa (rare).

Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Monde Protected Area (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/monde-protected-area-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/12/2024.