Khor Mughsayl (8246)
Oman, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Khawr al Mughsayl
Central coordinates: Latitude: 16.8833, Longitude: 53.7833
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 0.43909
Protected area coverage (%): 37.52
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A 700-m-long coastal lagoon set between low hills, c.45 km west of Salalah, and blocked from the sea by a pebbly bar which is traversed by a tarmac road. The water is fresh or only slightly brackish, and inflow of fresh water is variable though not substantial. A severe flood in 1989 caused effluent pollution. The water surface is largely open, and the banks are sandy and dominated by grasses, with only small areas of marginal fringing vegetation (Phragmites). Shoals of small fish occur at the seaward end. A culvert has been built under the road to allow passage of strong tides and wadi-floods. The bankside vegetation is heavily grazed by livestock. The site is near a fishing village and housing extends right up to it.
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. Used extensively by a wide variety of feeding waterbirds, and large roosts of gulls and terns occur on the barrier beach. Another notable species in winter is Ardea cinerea (41, February). Large numbers of seabirds feed offshore during spring/summer: Puffinus persicus (see box), Phaethon aethereus (50, July) and Sula dactylatra (200, May). At least 170 species have been recorded. 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: fisheries/aquaculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Neritic | 50 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area is a proposed National Scenic Reserve.