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SD007
Jebel Marra
Location Sudan, Northern Darfur,Southern Darfur
Central coordinates 24o 21.00' East  13o 4.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A3
Area 150,000 ha
Altitude 1,500 - 3,071m
Year of IBA assessment 2001





Ornithological information See Box and Table 2 for key species. In addition to Falco naumanni, which occurs in significant numbers, Circus macrourus and Aythya nyroca have also been recorded on passage. Five species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome (A04) have also been recorded (see Table 2).

Site description Jebel Marra is an extinct volcano which rises out of the plains of Darfur between the town of El Fasher and the international frontier with Chad. The lower slopes have some tree cover while in the centre of the crater lie two lakes surrounded by rolling hills covered with grass and bushes. The site is surrounded by rocky desert and sparse scrub dissected by a series of wadis.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni passage  -  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Least Concern 
Fox Kestrel Falco alopex resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Arabian Bustard Ardeotis arabs resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Near Threatened 
Nubian Bustard Neotis nuba resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A3  Near Threatened 
African Collared-dove Streptopelia roseogrisea resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-breasted Barbet Lybius rolleti resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Yellow-breasted Barbet Trachyphonus margaritatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Yellow-billed Shrike Corvinella corvina resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Dunn's Lark Eremalauda dunni resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Cricket Longtail Spiloptila clamans resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Purple Glossy-starling Lamprotornis purpureus resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Chestnut-bellied Starling Lamprotornis pulcher resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black Scrub-robin Cercotrichas podobe resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   100%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -

Other biodiversity The site is known to support an endemic flora. The tree Olea chrysophylla occurs, one of only two sites in Sudan from which it is known.

Management considerations The site has been proposed as a Natural Conservation Area. The vegetation of the massif is becoming degraded as a result of overgrazing and clearance for fuelwood.

References Wickens (1976).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Jebel Marra. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife