email a friend
printable version
close| Location | Saudi Arabia, Makkah |
| Central coordinates | 41o 6.00' East 18o 59.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, B1i, B3 |
| Area | 15 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 5m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See box for key species. Other breeding birds include Butorides striatus (2 pairs), Egretta gularis (7 pairs), Pandion haliaetus (2 pairs) and Streptopelia roseogrisea (c.500 pairs). Small numbers of Pelecanus rufescens roost on the beaches in winter.
Site description Two small, flat, fossil-coral islands in the Red Sea (12 ha and 2.7 ha), south-west of Qunfudah town. Rainfall is light and erratic, but there is often a heavy dew and the islands are exceedingly well vegetated, with thickets up to 3 m tall of Salvadora and Suaeda; on more open ground there is Cyperus, Atriplex and Zygophyllum.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia | breeding | 1993 | 10-15 breeding pairs | good | A4i, B1i | Least Concern |
| Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis | resident | 1993 | 65 breeding pairs | good | B1i | Least Concern |
| Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii | resident | 1993 | 50-100 breeding pairs | good | B3 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Umm al-Qamari Islands | Protected Area | 200 | protected area contains site | 15 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | minor | |
| Shrubland | major | |
| Coastline | major |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 100% |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations The islands have long been protected by traditional hunting laws, and are now also formally protected by NCWCD. It is not known whether hunting and egg-collecting occur, nor whether there is disturbance by other visitors.
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Umm al-Qamari. 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
|
|