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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 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
Asian Houbara Chlamydotis macqueenii	VU	breeding (1948–1950)	1 birds	B2
Northern Bald Ibis Geronticus eremita	EN	breeding (2002–2007)	1–3 pairs	A1, A4i
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus	EN	breeding (1991)	4 birds	B2
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus	NT	winter (1981)	1 birds	B2
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding (1980)	1 pairs	A1
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus	LC	resident (1976)	21 birds	B2

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2018) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Desert	poor (40–69%)	poor (40–69%)	very poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	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 planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	very low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1991	Talila	Protected Area (-)	12
2004	Ibis	Protected Area (-)	9

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Desert	major (>10)	Temperate
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	minor (<10)	Irrigated land; Water-storage areas
Artificial/Terrestrial	minor (<10)	Plantations; Urban areas
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	minor (<10)
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Freshwater springs & oases; Seasonal/intermitt salt/brackish/alkali lake/flats

Land use	% of IBA
rangeland/pastureland	100
hunting	100
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)
agriculture	minor (<10)

The land is state-owned since the 1960s (although traditionally used by Amur and other Bedouin tribes).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tadmur desert and mountains (Syria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tadmur-desert-and-mountains-iba-syria on 23/12/2024.