Data Zone
Country/territory: United Arab Emirates
IBA criteria met: A4, B2a, B3a, B3b (2017)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 300 hectares (3.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2017 | very poor | high | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (1994 baseline)
A 2-km-long island in the southern Arabian Gulf between Qatar and the UAE, 180 km west-north-west of Abu Dhabi city. It is mostly composed of sabkhah and fairly flat sand, and there are two rocky peaks about 50 m high at the north end, with an outer shelf of limestone rock around the edge of the island, as well as patchy coral reef offshore. The low and level southern area of blown shell-sand is relatively well-vegetated (low shrubs of Suaeda and Salsola) but this becomes sparse in the undulating hillocks of the north due to the barren subsoil and the former presence of a Phalacrocorax nigrogularis roost/colony. There is some habitation with a small permanent population, including a desalination plant and a navigation station.
Key biodiversity
A very important seabird breeding site: see box for key species (data are from 1984). Other breeding species include Sterna bergii (100 pairs) and Pandion haliaetus (one pair).
Non-bird biodiversity: Reptiles: important for the breeding sea-turtles Chelonia mydas (E), Caretta caretta (V) and Eretmochelys imbricata (E).
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Colin Richardson.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Qarnain Island (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/qarnain-island-iba-united-arab-emirates on 23/12/2024.