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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 IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	resident (2007–2010)	700 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	winter (2005–2010)	1,800–4,400 individuals	A1, A4i
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus	LC	resident (2005–2010)	40 breeding pairs	A3
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius	LC	breeding (2005–2010)	300 breeding pairs	A3
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter (2005–2010)	3,200 individuals	A4i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding (2005–2010)	1,500 breeding pairs	A4i
White-tailed Lapwing Vanellus leucurus	LC	resident (2005–2010)	1,000 breeding pairs	A3
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	breeding (2005–2010)	3,600 breeding pairs	A4i
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	resident (2005–2010)	1,800 breeding pairs	A4i
Pallid Scops-owl Otus brucei	LC	resident (2005–2010)	20 breeding pairs	A3
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes	LC	resident (2005–2010)	10 breeding pairs	A3
Basra Reed-warbler Acrocephalus griseldis	EN	breeding (2005–2010)	1,000 breeding pairs	A1, A2, A3
White-eared Bulbul Pycnonotus leucotis	LC	resident (2005–2010)	200 breeding pairs	A3
Iraq Babbler Argya altirostris	LC	resident (2005–2010)	2,000 breeding pairs	A2, A3
Hypocolius Hypocolius ampelinus	LC	breeding (2005–2010)	500 breeding pairs	A3
Dead Sea Sparrow Passer moabiticus	LC	resident (2005–2010)	1,300 breeding pairs	A3, A4ii
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2005–2010)	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii

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

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happen­ing now	whole popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	Not assessed	Not assessed	very low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
2016	The Ahwar of Southern Iraq: Refuge of Biodiversity and the Relict Landscape of the Mesopotamian Cities	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA)	58

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Wetlands (inland)	major (>10)	Bogs, marshes, swamps, fens & peatlands

Land use	% of IBA
energy production and mining	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: West Hammar (Iraq). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/west-hammar-iba-iraq on 24/01/2025.