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close| Location | Yemen, Shabwah |
| Central coordinates | 48o 23.30' East 13o 55.90' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3 |
| Area | 300 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 30m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See table for key species. The apparent scale of the guano trade indicates substantial use of the islands by seabirds, and it is suspected that further surveys will reveal that more than 1% of the populations of Phalacrocorax nigrogularis and Larus hemprichii breed there.
Site description Three islands (Baraqa, Sikha and Hallaniyah) lying less than 10 km off Bir Ali on the Gulf of Aden coast.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis | breeding | 1955 | present [units unknown] | - | A1, B2 | Vulnerable |
| Socotra Cormorant Phalacrocorax nigrogularis | non-breeding | 1993 | 2,000 individuals | poor | A1, A4i, B1i, B2 | Vulnerable |
| Sooty Gull Larus hemprichii | resident | 1955 | present [units unknown] | - | B3 | Least Concern |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Sea | minor | |
| Coastline | minor | |
| Desert | major |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| other | major |
| Notes: guano extraction | |
Other biodiversity No information.
Management considerations It is not known whether the site is threatened or facing any problems. The possibly continuing off-take of guano suggests that the seabird populations still breed in considerable numbers -- however, seabird breeding colonies on offshore islands are very sensitive to a variety of human impacts, and the lack of current information hinders effective conservation of the birds and the economically valuable guano resource.
Conservation response No formal nature conservation measures are known to have been taken.
References Smith (1956).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Islands off Bir Ali. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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