Hilleh Protected Area (8152)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, D1a

Year of last assessment: 1994

National site name: Hilleh Protected Area

Central coordinates: Latitude: 29.1667, Longitude: 50.8333

System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 7

Area of KBA (km²): 380.35089

Protected area coverage (%): 100.00

KBA classification: Global

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: The site comprises the Hilleh Protected Area, 35 km north-west of Bushire, established to protect the only major freshwater wetland on the south coast of Iran east of Khuzestan- a complex of permanent freshwater lagoons with extensive sedge marshes on seasonally flooded plains near the mouth of the Hilleh (Helleh, Halileh) Rud. The site also includes a large area of the adjacent sparsely vegetated desert plains and extensive intertidal mudflats. Overall there are c.35,600 ha of wetland. Land ownership is public.

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. The wetland supports large numbers of breeding, passage and wintering waterfowl of a wide variety of species, and is especially important for wintering Phalacrocorax carbo, herons and egrets, Platalea leucorodia, Phoenicopterus ruber, Anser anser, surface-feeding ducks, Circus aeruginosus, Grus grus (120) and shorebirds. Pterocles alchata breeds fairly commonly on the adjacent plains, and Coracias benghalensis is a fairly common resident. Plegadis falcinellus is an occasional passage migrant or winter visitor. At least 111 species have been recorded in the reserve. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Desert	16
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	34
Marine Neritic	17
Marine Intertidal	34

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The wetlands and a large area of surrounding desert (totalling 42,600 ha) were designated as a Wildlife Refuge in 1977, downgraded to Protected Area in the 1980s (this Protected Area is not listed in IUCN 1991). There are no threats known; the wetland is in a sparsely populated area and remains in excellent condition. It has been proposed that the Hilleh Delta Marshes be designated a Ramsar Site.

Additional information