Data Zone
Country/territory: United Arab Emirates
IBA criteria met: A1, A4, B2a, B3a, B3b (2017)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 2,000 hectares (20.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2017 | good | high | high |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (1994 baseline)
Three islands up to 36 m high in the south-east Arabian Gulf, 35 km north of Abu Dhabi mainland and 70 km west of Sir Bani Yas island. North Yasat is uninhabited. The islands are fringed by coral reefs.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. This is a very important seabird breeding site, judging by the only two surveys in May 1990 and March-April 1993. Other breeding species include Egretta gularis (7 pairs), Pandion haliaetus (17-20 pairs), Charadrius alexandrinus, Sterna anaethetus ('large colonies' were found forming on all three islands in May 1990, and a group of 250 birds was on North Yasat in April 1993), Eremopterix nigriceps and Alaemon alaudipes.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: dolphins Tursiops truncatus and Sousa chinensis (K) occur, and sea-turtles Chelonia mydas (E) probably nest.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Colin Richardson (per Adrian Chapman).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Yasat Island (United Arab Emirates). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/yasat-island-iba-united-arab-emirates on 23/12/2024.