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The site was identified as important in 2017 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
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	VU	breeding	2005-2017	2,500-11,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4, B3a
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	LC	breeding	2005-2017	3-8 breeding pairs	B2a
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	LC	breeding	2005-2017	400-2,200 breeding pairs	A4, B2a, B3a

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2017) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2017. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis	200	6,750	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Bridled Tern Onychoprion anaethetus	2,750	1,300	breeding pairs	48	not assessed
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	24	8	breeding pairs	34	not assessed
White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa	2,250	2,200	breeding pairs	98	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	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%)	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	negligible

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	minor (<10)
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sir Bani Yas Islands (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sir-bani-yas-islands-iba-united-arab-emirates on 23/11/2024.