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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1994 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Philby's Partridge Alectoris philbyi	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A2, A3, B3
Arabian Partridge Alectoris melanocephala	LC	resident (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A3, B3
Dusky Turtle-dove Streptopelia lugens	LC	breeding (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A3
Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A3, B2
Arabian Woodpecker Dendropicos dorae	NT	resident (1992–1995)	1–5 breeding pairs	A1, A3, B2
Asir Magpie Pica asirensis	EN	resident (1992–1995)	1–5 breeding pairs	B3
Brown Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens	LC	resident (1992–1995)	500 breeding pairs	A3
Yemen Warbler Curruca buryi	NT	resident (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A1, A2, A3, B2
Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A3
Yemen Thrush Turdus menachensis	NT	resident (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A1, A2, A3, B2
Little Rock-thrush Monticola rufocinereus	LC	resident (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A3
Arabian Wheatear Oenanthe lugentoides	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A3
Arabian Waxbill Estrilda rufibarba	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A2, A3, B3
Arabian Serin Crithagra rothschildi	LC	resident (1992–1995)	51–500 breeding pairs	A3, B3
Yemen Serin Crithagra menachensis	LC	resident (1992–1995)	6–50 breeding pairs	A2, A3, B3
Yemen Linnet Linaria yemenensis	LC	resident (1992–1995)	500 breeding pairs	A2, A3, B3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
No known threats	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	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	Not assessed	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1981	‘Asir National Park	متنزه وطني (VI)	100
1989	Raydah	محمية طبيعية (IV)	35

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	50
Shrubland	50
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	minor (<10)
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Freshwater springs & oases; Seasonal/intermittent/irregular river/stream/creek

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
other	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	major (>10)
rangeland/pastureland	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Raydah escarpment (Saudi Arabia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/raydah-escarpment-iba-saudi-arabia on 25/01/2025.