Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2008 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura | LC | breeding (2005–2006) | 10 birds | A3 |
| Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti | LC | resident (2006) | 3 birds | A3 |
| Temminck's Lark Eremophila bilopha | LC | resident (2005–2006) | 30–32 birds | A3 |
| Streaked Scrub-warbler Scotocerca inquieta | LC | resident (2005–2006) | 3–5 birds | A3 |
| Mourning Wheatear Oenanthe lugens | LC | resident (2005–2006) | 11–34 birds | A3 |
| Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus | LC | breeding (2005–2006) | 2–7 birds | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2008. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | poor | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Temminck's Lark Eremophila bilopha | 7 / 13 (birds) | 54 | poor | ||
| Spectacled Warbler Curruca conspicillata | 3 / 3 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Oenanthe lugens | 15 / 21 (birds) | 72 | moderate | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 90 | |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 10 | Arable land |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| hunting | major (>10) |
| rangeland/pastureland | major (>10) |
| agriculture | minor (<10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Semi Deserts of Ras Baalbek (Lebanon). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/semi-deserts-of-ras-baalbek-iba-lebanon on 25/12/2024.