Faror islands (8157)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East

Site overview

KBA status: confirmed

Year of last assessment: 1994

National site name: Faror islands

Central coordinates: Latitude: 26.2500, Longitude: 54.5167

System: marine, terrestrial

Elevation (m): 0 to 142

Area of KBA (km²): 28.938743

Protected area coverage (%): 86.95

KBA classification: Regional

Legacy site: Yes

Site details

Site description: Faror Island is 24 km offshore in the southern Persian Gulf, 45 km south-west of Bandar Lengeh, at 26°17'N 54°30'E. The tiny islet of Bani Faror (26°07'N 54°27'E) is a further 16 km south-south-west of Faror. Faror is c.6.5 km long and 4 km wide, and rises in dark volcanic hills to a peak at 142 m. There is no information on the habitats, etc. Land ownership is public.

Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.

Additional biodiversity: No ornithologist appears to have been to the island since the visit by La Personne in July 1923 when Sterna repressa and S. anaethetus were breeding in large numbers, and Puffinus persicus was offshore in flocks of 20-30. Pandion haliaetus was breeding. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.

Delineation rationale: Type 1 marine IBA: suitable for the seaward extension approach.

Habitats

Land use: nature conservation and research (100%)

IUCN Habitat	Coverage %	Habitat detail
Marine Neritic	5
Desert	90
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	5

Threats

Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The islands have recently been designated a Protected Area. No threats are known other than the ever-present one of a major oil spill.

Additional information