Khor Arba'at (6802)
Sudan, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2001
National site name: Khor Arba'at
Central coordinates: Latitude: 19.8000, Longitude: 37.0500
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 100 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 82.25904
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site is located c.15 km inland from the Red Sea, immediately east of the Red Sea Hills, c.25 km north-west of Port Sudan. The focus of the site is a 500-m-wide riverbed in which a water-pumping station has been built to provide water to Port Sudan. The pumping station is located on what has become an artificial island, surrounded by the only permanent water in the Red Sea Hills. There is a small garden on the island, with lemon and guava trees and date-palms, which provide the only concentrated green vegetation in a large area during the dry season. The site includes an area of the surrounding desert which, apart from a few scattered bushes along the riverbed, is largely barren.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: See Box and Table 2 for key species. In addition, the site is an extremely important focus for a wide diversity of migrant Palearctic passerines during August–October, with estimates of up to 10,000 Acrocephalus palustris being seen in a single day. Other species recorded, albeit in much smaller numbers, include Crex crex, Acrocephalus griseldis and Emberiza cineracea. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: not utilised | water management
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky Areas(e.g., inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 97 | |
| Grassland | 2 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: A large number of birds of prey, including vultures, have been recorded killed by the overhead powerlines, supported by metal poles, which supply the station’s electric water-pumps.
Additional information
References: Nikolaus (1983, 1984).