Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A natural lake near Haggag in Wadi Rabigh (c.35 km inland), fringed with reeds
Phragmites and fed by several permanent freshwater springs. Such natural wetland habitat is unique on the Tihamah north of Jiddah. Fish are abundant. Surrounding land is primarily used for grazing, less so for agriculture. There is some recreational use by picnicers.
Breeding species include
Ixobrychus minutus (1 pair),
Glareola pratincola (1 pair),
Sterna albifrons (possibly 1 pair) and
Alcedo atthis (possibly 1 pair). Fourteen
Ciconia nigra were present in mid-winter 1991-1992. The site is situated along the autumn raptor flyway to the Bab al-Mandab;
Buteo buteo is especially common, and raptors roost on the cliffs adjacent to the springs.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site is included in the NCWCD System Plan for Protected Areas. Hunting, damming and water diversion are currently problems on a minor scale. Recreational use, and consequent disturbance, by people from Jiddah, Rabigh and Yanbu is likely to increase, and the area has potential for agricultural development.
Data-sheet compiled by B. Meadows.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wadi Rabigh springs (Saudi Arabia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wadi-rabigh-springs-iba-saudi-arabia on 15/01/2025.
