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close| Location | United Arab Emirates, Abu Dhabi |
| Central coordinates | 52o 0.00' East 24o 15.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3 |
| Area | 2,000 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 36m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information 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.
Site description 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.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis | breeding | 1992 | 2,000 breeding pairs | medium | A1, A4i, B1i, B2 | Vulnerable |
| Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis | non-breeding | 1992 | 10,000 individuals | good | A1, A4i, B1i, B2 | Vulnerable |
| Saunders's Tern Sterna saundersi | breeding | 1992 | 10-20 breeding pairs | unknown | B3 | Least Concern |
| White-cheeked Tern Sterna repressa | breeding | 1990 | common [units unknown] | - | B3 | Least Concern |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | minor | |
| Desert | major | |
| Coastline | minor |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| not utilised | major |
Other biodiversity Mammals: dolphins Tursiops truncatus and Sousa chinensis (K) occur, and sea-turtles Chelonia mydas (E) probably nest.
Management considerations There is no legal protection and no measures for nature conservation have been taken. There is no sign of feral cats Felis on the islands, and the distance from the mainland and the proximity to the border with Saudi Arabia probably help to minimize human disturbance.
References Aspinall (in press), Chapman (1990), Hellyer (1993).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Yasat islands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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