Data Zone
Country/territory: Iraq
IBA criteria met: A1, A4iii (2014)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 84,753 hectares (847.53 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2014 | not assessed | high | very low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2014 baseline)
Suweibaat (also known as Sleibaat or sometimes Sleibeekhaat) is a large depression and seasonal wetland approximately 54km long and 15km wide. It collects rainwater from the southwestern desert (Al-Shamiya) via branched wadis that carry water seasonally, of which the main ones are: Rijlat Al-Shalhoobiya, Sh’eeb Al-’Ash’ali, Sh’eeb Al-Qaseer, and Rijlat Al-Safawi. These wadis are not deep but contain relatively good vegetation. Suwaibaat also receives a small amount of water from the western bank of the Euphrates River through Al-Qadissiya Canal, which was originally built in the 1990s to divert water away from the marshlands
Key biodiversity
Additional Important Bird Observations: In addition to the species listed in the table above, the site also held seven Sahara-Sindian Desert biome-restricted species that might breed at the site, but these did not trigger inclusion under criterion A3.
Other Important Fauna: According to local reports, mammals include: Honey Badger Mellivora capensis, Striped Hyena Hyaena hyaena (Near Threatened), and Grey Wolf Canis lupus among other common species. Several reptiles were observed and reported but species were not identified and fish were not studied.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Suwaibaat (Sleibaat) (Iraq). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/suwaibaat-(sleibaat)-iba-iraq on 23/12/2024.