Current view: Text account
Site description (2014 baseline):
Site location and context
North Ibn Najm (locally known as Garrat Sayid Jafar) is a small, isolated marsh that receives water from the surrounding network of canals bringing drainage water from rice fields, farms and orchards that surround the site. This patch of wetland (along with Ibn Najm (IQ063)) are the last remaining wetlands from the original Ibn Najm that covered a large area at the intersection of Najaf, Babil, and Qadissiya Governorates, described by Evans (1994) as a 10,000 ha freshwater marsh of possibly great importance for wintering waterbirds and was listed as a wetland of international importance (IBA026).
The geology of the area is Mesopotamian alluvium, mainly silts
Additional Important Bird Observations: During the surveys, 37 bird species were observed. In addition to those listed in the table above, the site supported eight breeding Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species but these did not trigger inclusion under the A3 criterion. The endemic race of Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis and endemic race of Hooded Crow Corvus cornix capellanus (Mesopotamian Crow) breed at the site.
Other Important Fauna: There were a few reports from locals of either Red Fox or Ruppell’s Fox Vulpes sp. (species could not be distinguished) and Golden Jackal Canis aureus.
Fish: A Fisheries Frame survey was conducted here in 2009. A total of eight species were found. Ten fishing boats were observed using fixed nets (mesh sizes of 0.5-1 cm) and electro-fishing. The daily catch average was estimated at 3 kg/boat for net fishing and 7 kg/boat for electro-fishing. The following significant species were observed: Alburnus mossulensis, Carasobarbus luteus, Carassius auratus, Cyprinus carpio, Leuciscus vorax, Liza abu, Mesopotamichthys sharpeyi, and Silurus triostegus. The introduced invasive species Tilapia zillii was also reported by fishermen.
Phragmites australis, which is an important plant for local people for economic and cultural heritage reasons.
Dense reed beds of Phragmites and Typha grow here, in addition to many species of aquatic plants, but the site also contains shrub woodlands with Tamrix sp. and Alhagi graecorum. Large numbers of ducks were observed.
Major change happened in this marsh between the summer of 2009 and 2010. In 2010, the team found the area entirely dry except for some water patches in the canals and a few depressions. Most of the plant cover had died because of the lack of the water. The locals reported that because of the shortage of water in 2010, the Ministries of Agriculture and Water Resources did not allow the farmers to grow rice, which decreased the amount of water draining into the marsh.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This site is highly variable due to often yearly changes in the water regime. But based on the results of these very short, rapid assessment visits, it appeared that the site can harbor threatened species such as Marmaronetta angustirostris and endemic species and subspecies such as Tachybaptus ruficollis iraquensis, Turdoides altirostris and Corvus cornix capellanus that breed regularly in or around this marsh.
Four threats were ranked very high. These include natural systems modification, specifically the lack of a stable water supply to ensure adequate water levels and quality. Also, over-exploitation due to hunting and over-fishing (primarily through electro-fishing); human intrusion, especially during the breeding season, and agricultural expansion. Agriculture is very active in this area to the point that the original Ibn Najm has been reduced to very small patches among the rice fields and palm orchards. This was during the period of agricultural expansion especially focused on rice production (local varieties), which caused more of these areas to be turned into rice fields during the 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s.
Three threats were rated high: urbanization, road construction, and pollution. The last threat (pollution) mainly stems from smoke from the asphalt factory adjacent to this marsh, but is also the result of plastic waste and other rubbish brought in either by the wind or by visitors. An additional potential threat is the presence of the introduced and invasive Tilapia zillii, which was reported by most of the fishermen in the area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Ibn Najm (Iraq). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-ibn-najm-iba-iraq on 23/12/2024.
