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Site description (2014 baseline):
Site location and context
This site is located in the heart of the southwestern desert, southwest of the town of Salman.
Additional Important Bird Observations: Only a few bird species were oberved during the 2010 winter and summer surveys, but the area appears to provide good habitat for resident and migrant desert birdsbecause of the relatively good plant cover in the wadis. According to local reports, large numbers of raptors also utilize the area. The flat, non-rocky parts provide good habitat for Macqueen’s Bustard Chlamydotis macqueenii (Vulnerable), which is hunted extensively here each season. The site held breeding populations of seven Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species but these did not trigger inclusion under criterion A3.
Other Important Fauna: According to frequent reports of locals and hunters, Honey Badger Mellivora capensis, Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena (Near Threatened), and Grey Wolf Canis lupus occur along with other common species. Gazelles used to be found in the western parts of this area, but it is not clear whether they still occurt. Reptiles include the Desert Monitor Varanus griseus and Egyptian Spiny–tailed Lizard Uromastyx aegyptia, the latter listed on CITES Appendix II.
It consists mainly of dry habitats that include large seasonal watercourses (wadis) running northeastwards that carry water during the rainy season into Al-Suwaibaat depression (IQ074) west of the city of Nasiria. The area has scattered and low-growing vegetation throughout, but plant cover is denser in the wadis. A different large depression, in the southern part of the area, fills with water during the rainy season, and attracts various species.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This vast southern desert, represented by areas such as this, is poorly-known in regards to its wildlife and ecology but is likely to to provide a good example of the Shamiya, the southern Iraqi desert. The highest threat was hunting and falconry, especially by the caravans of falconers that visit the area in winter, mostly from the Gulf States with the aid and cooperation of local falconers and hunters as well as some governmental bodies (it appears that the Ministry of Interior provides them with assistance because police and police vehicles were often seen accompanying these groups of falconers). Locals frequently report that these groups do not leave the area until it is “clear” of any birds, mammals or large lizards. The following two threats were ranked high: human intrusion due to grazing and hunting and transportation corridors due to the paved road from Salman to the Saudi border that runs along the northern and western parts of this area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Salman (Iraq). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/salman-iba-iraq on 21/12/2024.
