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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2014 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
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	winter (2010)	43 birds	A1
White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus	LC	resident (2009)	1 pairs	A3
Cream-coloured Courser Cursorius cursor	LC	resident (2012)	1 pairs	A3
Brown-necked Raven Corvus ruficollis	LC	resident (2009)	4 birds	A3
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes	LC	resident (2010)	2 birds	A3
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti	LC	resident (2010)	2 birds	A3
White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis	LC	resident (2010)	15 pairs	A3
Iraq Babbler Argya altirostris	LC	resident (2012)	1 pairs	A3
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus	LC	resident (2010)	8 pairs	A3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2014. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	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	Not assessed	very low

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	85	Water-storage areas
Desert	15

Land use	% of IBA
water management	18
agriculture	1
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)
fisheries/aquaculture	major (>10)
hunting	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tharthar Lake and Al-Dhebaeji Fields (Iraq). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tharthar-lake-and-al-dhebaeji-fields-iba-iraq on 23/12/2024.