Tayebad plains at Ghoomi and Sarhad (8105)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d

Year of last assessment: 1994

National site name: Tayebad plains at Ghoomi and Sarhad

Central coordinates: Latitude: 34.7500, Longitude: 60.9167

System: freshwater, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 900 to 900

Area of KBA (km²): 598.17653

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Plains around the villages of Ghoomi and Sarhad near the Afghanistan border north-east of Tayebad. The site is cultivated land (mainly cereals) and fallow land adjacent to sparsely vegetated semi-arid steppic plains and rolling hills. Land ownership is public. Livestock are grazed.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.

Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. A very important wintering area for Otis tarda in the 1970s, with birds present from November or December to February. Only small flocks (maximum 26) were observed by Department of the Environment personnel, but local farmers reported concentrations of 500 to 1,000 in mid-winter. Pterocles orientalis is a common resident, and P. alchata occurs (probably as a winter visitor). Cursorius cursor probably breeds on the adjacent semi-desertic plains. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Habitats

Land use: agriculture | rangeland/pastureland

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Desert	50
Artificial - Terrestrial	50

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: No conservation measures are known to have been proposed and there is no information on threats to the site.

Additional information