• 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
Sand Partridge Ammoperdix heyi	LC	resident	1991	present	A3, B3
Garganey Spatula querquedula	LC	passage	1991	10,000 individuals	B1i
Lichtenstein's Sandgrouse Pterocles lichtensteinii	LC	resident	1993	present	A3
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage	1991	500 individuals	A4i, B1i
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	passage	1991	3,771 individuals	B1i
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	passage	1991	11,000 individuals	B1i
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	LC	passage	1991	1,000 individuals	B1i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	passage	1991	5,850 individuals	B1i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	passage	1991	300 individuals	B1i
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris	CR	passage	1977	1 individuals	A1, A4i
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis	LC	passage	1991	500 individuals	A4i, B1i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	passage	1991	5-80 individuals	A1, B2
White-eyed Gull Larus leucophthalmus	LC	non-breeding	1991	1-80 individuals	A1, B2
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus	LC	passage	1991	50,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Pallid Scops-owl Otus brucei	LC	winter	1991	3 individuals	B3
Desert Tawny Owl Strix hadorami	LC	resident	1991	4-10 breeding pairs	A3, B3
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus	LC	passage	1977-1988	363,200-851,598 individuals	B2
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus	EN	passage	1977-1988	428-802 individuals	B2
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	passage	1977-1988	64-90 individuals	A1, B2
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	winter	1991	1-2 individuals	B2
Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes	LC	passage	1977-1988	16,280-49,836 individuals	B2
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	passage	1977-1988	22 individuals	A1, B2
Sooty Falcon Falco concolor	VU	breeding	1991	5-10 breeding pairs	A3, B2
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus	LC	resident	1991	1 breeding pairs	B2
Arabian Lark Eremalauda eremodites	LC	resident	1993	present	A3
Arabian Babbler Argya squamiceps	LC	resident	1991	present	A3, B3
Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii	LC	resident	1991	10-50 breeding pairs	B3
Tristram's Starling Onychognathus tristramii	LC	winter	1991	5,000 individuals	B3
Hooded Wheatear Oenanthe monacha	LC	resident	1991	present	A3, B3
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus	LC	passage	1991	5,000 individuals	B3
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus	LC	winter	1991	100 individuals	B3
Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus	LC	resident	1991	2-4 breeding pairs	B2
Sinai Rosefinch Carpodacus synoicus	LC	winter	1991	20-50 individuals	B2
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea	NT	passage	1991	15 individuals	A1, B2
A4iv Species group - soaring birds/cranes	n/a	passage	1977-1988	1,200,000 individuals	A4iv, B1iv

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

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Nehalim Gedolim Uqetura	Nature Reserve	-
-	Biqat Timna	Nature Reserve	4
-	Ha-Yam Ha-Deromi Be-Elat	Nature Reserve	<1
1964	Hof HaAlmogim BeElat	Nature Reserve	<1
1970	Yotvata	Nature Reserve	3
1970	Yotvata	Nature Reserve	5
1986	Massiv Elat	Nature Reserve	65
2002	Biqat Timna	Nature Reserve	3
2008	Zuqe Shayyarot	Nature Reserve	12

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Desert		major (>10)
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		minor (<10)
Artificial/Terrestrial		minor (<10)
Marine Neritic		minor (<10)
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		minor (<10)
Savanna		minor (<10)
Shrubland		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	72
tourism/recreation	major (>10)
agriculture	minor (<10)
fisheries/aquaculture	minor (<10)
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Southern Arava valley and Elat mountains (Israel). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/southern-arava-valley-and-elat-mountains-iba-israel on 22/11/2024.