Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1994 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola | VU | passage (1991) | 500 individuals | B1i |
| Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus | LC | passage (1991) | 1,500 individuals | A4i, B1i |
| Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus | LC | winter (1988–1992) | 330–731 individuals | B1i |
| Charadrius mongolus | NR | passage (1991) | 2,000 individuals | A4i, B1i |
| Charadrius mongolus | NR | winter (1988–1992) | 233–824 individuals | B1i |
| Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus | VU | passage (1991) | 800 individuals | A4i, B1i |
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | NT | winter (1988–1992) | 616–1,586 individuals | B1i |
| Slender-billed Gull Larus genei | LC | passage (1991) | 3,000 individuals | A4i, B1i |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | very unfavourable | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola | 18 / 500 (individuals) | 4 | very unfavourable | ||
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | 220 / 1,586 (individuals) | 14 | very unfavourable | ||
| Slender-billed Gull Larus genei | 262 / 3,000 (individuals) | 9 | very unfavourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | whole population/area (>90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Ras Sand Mangrove | Reserve (Ia) | 4 |
| 2006 | Tubli Bay National Park | National Park (II) | 100 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 81 | |
| Marine Neritic | 15 | |
| Forest | 4 | Subtropical & tropical mangrove |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 40 |
| urban/industrial/transport | 40 |
| tourism/recreation | 30 |
| agriculture | 20 |
| energy production and mining | 15 |
| nature conservation and research | 10 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tubli Bay (Bahrain). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tubli-bay-iba-bahrain on 26/01/2025.