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

The site was identified as important in 1994 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
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	1993-1995	45-120 breeding pairs	B1i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1992-1995	480 individuals	A4i, B1i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	passage	1992-1995	3,500 individuals	A4i, B1i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter	1992-1995	2,800 individuals	A4i, B1i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	passage	1992-1995	1,800 individuals	A4i, B1i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	winter	1991	402 individuals	B1i
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	passage	1992-1995	700 individuals	B1i
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	VU	passage	1992-1995	1,100 individuals	A4i, B1i
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	VU	passage	1992-1995	3,100 individuals	B1i
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage	1992-1995	11,340 individuals	A4i, B1i
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	1992-1995	8,650 individuals	A4i, B1i
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans	LC	winter	1991	118-1,200 individuals	B1i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1993	20,000 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1994) may differ.

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 trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Sabkhat al-Fasl	محمية	13

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Waste-water treatment areas	100

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
water management	100
hunting	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sabkhat al-Fasl lagoons (Saudi Arabia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sabkhat-al-fasl-lagoons-iba-saudi-arabia on 23/11/2024.