Khor Dirif (8235)
Oman, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Khawr Dhirif
Central coordinates: Latitude: 18.9333, Longitude: 57.3500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 0.98187
Protected area coverage (%): 0.16
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A major lagoon (900 × 600 m) on the Sahil al Jazir coastal plain, land-locked and predominantly freshwater, and surrounded by flat, sandy terrain including dunes. Aquatic vegetation includes Potamogeton and Ruppia; salt-tolerant dwarf shrubs and woody-based herbs are abundant around the site, becoming sparse away from the water. Human population density is low. Nomadic pastoralism is widely practised, and fishing is important in the coastal people's economy.
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: See box for key species. The site is rich in duck and roosting seabirds and shorebirds in winter and during migration. Up to c.600 duck occur in winter (the highest number in central Oman), including Aythya nyroca (see box), as well as good numbers of gulls and terns: Larus cachinnans/L. argentatus (140, January), Sterna nilotica (50, November), S. caspia (80, January), S. bergii (300, May) and S. sandvicensis (350, January). At least 121 species have been recorded, though the site is rather underwatched due to its remoteness. Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Gazella gazella (V) is regularly seen. Flora: the terrestrial vegetation shows a high degree of endemism.
Delineation rationale: 2010-01-18 (BL Secretariat): international site name adjusted to match the gazetteer in: Eriksen, J. and Sargeant, D. E. (2000) Oman bird list, edition 5. Muscat: Oman Bird Records Committee (privately published).
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 48 | |
| Desert | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area is part of the proposed North Jazir National Nature Reserve (15,000 ha) which is part of the proposed natural World Heritage Site (see also sites 019 and 023).