Jadriyah and Umm Al-Khanazeer Island Sites, Baghdad, Iraq: Status and Eligibility as an Important Bird Area

Authors

  • Aya Yaqoob Department of Biology, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq. https://orcid.org/0009-0005-4945-1835
  • Nadheer Abod Department of Biology, College of Science for Women, University of Baghdad, Baghdad, Iraq.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21123/bsj.2024.10328

Keywords:

Climate change, JUKI, IBA, land use, Remote sensing

Abstract

In Baghdad, the site of Jadriyah and Umm Al-Khanazeer Island (JUKI) was the only IBA nominated by the Birdlife International in 1994 (based on data from 1984). Unfortunately, the JUKI site was deleted from the IBA list in 2017 without proper investigation. We compared our 2022 data with two previous surveys and successfully calculated the trend of the site for the first time. JUKI, as compared to 1984 as baseline data, has currently a medium level of threats (land use change and climate change). Status assessment shows that the site in 2022 has 58.9 % of its 1984 potential habitat remaining (poor habitat status). JUKI still has 84 % of its 2011 potential bird population (moderate bird status), keeping 3 of the 6 original key species; half of the key bird species is kept (indicating continuous eligibility as IBA site). The site needs the immediate activation of absent proper site management (response measures) based on the IUCN and Birdlife International criteria. The newly added trend parameter indicated a trend of no change–small deterioration. Our conclusion is that the JUKI site is still eligible as an IBA site and its removal from the IBA list was not based on scientific evidence.

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Jadriyah and Umm Al-Khanazeer Island Sites, Baghdad, Iraq: Status and Eligibility as an Important Bird Area. Baghdad Sci.J [Internet]. [cited 2024 Dec. 4];22(6). Available from: https://bsj.uobaghdad.edu.iq/index.php/BSJ/article/view/10328