Khawr Rouri (8241)
Oman, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Khawr Rawri
Central coordinates: Latitude: 17.0333, Longitude: 54.4333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 5.94458
Protected area coverage (%): 15.78
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: One of the largest coastal lagoons in Oman, c.2.6 km long, on the Salalah coastal plain east of and close to the town of Taqah. There is substantial but variable freshwater inflow from Wadi Darbat. Its sandbar is occasionally breached, when the lagoon becomes temporarily tidal. The khawr is cliff-girt along its central part, and a small hill occurs at either side of its mouth. The water surface is partly open, with a dense fringe of Juncus, Phragmites, Typha and sedges and grasses. There are beds of water-weed Chara. An important antiquity site lies just east of the lagoon. A road leads to the mouth of the khawr from Taqah, and the sandbar is open to the public. The vegetation is heavily grazed and browsed by camels, cattle and goats.
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 for key species. The most important khawr in Dhofar for wintering and passage waterbirds, with a greater diversity of species and larger numbers of birds present than at other khawrs. Other wintering species include wildfowl (up to 1,200 birds of 16 species), Aquila clanga (max. 3, November) and Hydrophasianus chirurgus (50, February). Large numbers of Ardea cinerea (40, April) and Ciconia ciconia (150, November) occur on migration. The number of species recorded overall (203) is high, reflecting the occurrence of many migrant species, a wide variety of breeders including Afrotropical species, and scarce or vagrant freshwater waterbirds. Non-bird biodiversity: Flora: at least three species on the Salalah coastal plain are endemic or near-endemic to Oman, and some may be present at this site.
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: rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 48 | |
| Marine Neritic | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The close presence of Salalah could lead to an increase in uncontrolled recreational use in the future, with potentially detrimental effects on birds through disturbance. The area is a proposed National Nature Reserve.