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close| Location | Yemen, Al Hudaydah |
| Central coordinates | 42o 52.10' East 15o 3.10' North |
| IBA criteria | B1i, B3 |
| Area | 1,500 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 10m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See table for key species. The mangrove and doum palms support an interesting breeding avifauna, including Butorides striatus, Milvus migrans, Pandion haliaetus (1 pair), Cypsiurus parvus, Acrocephalus stentoreus (probably), A. baeticatus (probably), Ploceus rueppelli and Lonchura cantans. A very wide variety of coastal waterbirds occur on passage and in winter (a few in good numbers though there have never been any comprehensive counts) including Pelecanus rufescens (90, April) and Sterna bengalensis (300, October).
Site description A formerly undisturbed 15-km-stretch of coast, with a wide variety of natural habitats in a small area.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crab Plover Dromas ardeola | non-breeding | 1986 | 166 individuals | poor | B3 | Least Concern |
| Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus | passage | 1986 | 240 individuals | poor | B1i | Least Concern |
| Saunders's Tern Sterna saundersi | breeding | 1986 | 10-20 breeding pairs | poor | B3 | Least Concern |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Coastline | major | |
| Desert | minor | |
| Forest | 1% | |
| Shrubland | 13% | |
| Sea | minor | |
| Wetlands (inland) | minor |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| tourism/recreation | major |
| rangeland/pastureland | major |
| fisheries/aquaculture | major |
Other biodiversity Mammals: dolphins (probably including Tursiops) are frequent offshore; Genetta felina (rare). Reptiles: Chelonia mydas (E) is common offshore, and Dermochelys coriacea (E) has been recorded; other sea-turtle species probably also occur.
Management considerations It is not known whether the planned hotel has been built, and if so, to what extent destruction of habitat, depletion of freshwater supply, pollution through waste disposal, and excessive disturbance of birds has been avoided. Campers' fires have burned down areas of the Hyphaene palm woodland locally.
Conservation response No formal conservation measures are known to have been taken, although the establishment of marine parks has been considered in the past, and this area has been recommended for special management by a PERSGA study team in 1985.
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Al-'Urj. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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