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• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2004 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
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata	LC	breeding	2000	20-30 breeding pairs	B2
Little Swift Apus affinis	LC	breeding	-	150 breeding pairs	B2
Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita	EN	breeding	2002	55 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, B2
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	non-breeding	2001	550 individuals	A1, B1i
Pallid Scops-owl Otus brucei	LC	breeding	-	1-5 breeding pairs	B2
Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis	LC	breeding	-	5-10 breeding pairs	B2
Graceful Prinia Prinia gracilis	LC	breeding	-	20 breeding pairs	B2
Trumpeter Finch Bucanetes githagineus	LC	breeding	-	5-20 breeding pairs	B2
Cinereous Bunting Emberiza cineracea	NT	breeding	2001	50 breeding pairs	A1, B2

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2004) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Desert	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	low
Energy production and mining	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

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10%)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Birecik Firat YHGS	Wildlife Development Area	-
2008	Birecik Lake Wetland	Other Area	-

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Doğa Kültür ve Yaşatma Derneği	2011

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		major (>10)
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Urban parks and gardens	major (>10)
Desert	Semidesert	major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	major (>10)
energy production and mining	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Southern Euphrates Valley and Birecik Plains (Türkiye). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/southern-euphrates-valley-and-birecik-plains-iba-türkiye on 22/11/2024.