Jabal Slenfeh (8302)
Syria, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2016
National site name: Jabal Slenfeh
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.5872, Longitude: 36.2072
Elevation (m): 600 to 962
Area of KBA (km2): 80.41474
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A relatively well-wooded mountain area, centred on the village of Slenfeh c.20 km north-east of Al-Ladhiqiyah (Lattakia), on the western slopes of the Jibal al-Nusayriyah range. The woodland is dominated by Abies and Cedrus. The area is generally densely populated with small settlements.
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. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mediterranean Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and global threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Pyman (1953) estimated ('probably conservatively') that several hundred large raptors per day passed south through the area during late September. The raptor stream observed here is presumably a continuation of that which passes through the bottleneck site of Belen in southern Turkey, where at least 30,000 raptors and more than 100,000 Ciconia ciconia pass through per autumn (Sutherland and Brooks 1981), and birds have been seen moving on south from Jibal al-Nusayriyah into the Lebanese mountains. The predominant raptors in September are Pernis apivorus, Aquila pomarina and Accipiter brevipes. The raptor migration also occurs in spring. Breeding species include Hieraaetus fasciatus (common in the 1940s but no recent records), Alectoris chukar, Coturnix coturnix, Tachymarptis melba, Lullula arborea, Luscinia megarhynchos, Sylvia communis, Lanius nubicus (very common), Corvus corax, Emberiza caesia and E. melanocephala. Non-bird biodiversity: No information available to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | forestry | hunting | rangeland/pastureland | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Forest | 90 | |
| Shrubland | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site is a State Forest Protection Zone administered by the Directorate of Forests and Afforestation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. Hunting is a widespread activity in the Jibal al-Nusayriyah range. Shooting of migratory raptors is common in Syria (Baumgart 1991a, 1991b, Bijlsma 1987). The area was proposed as a managed nature reserve or multiple-use management area by a Task Force of the UNEP Regional Activity Centre for Mediterranean Specially Protected Areas in 1989 (Jeudy de Grissac 1989).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biological resource use | Hunting & collecting terrestrial animals | Unintentional effects (species being assessed is not the target) | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Recreational activities | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: Bijlsma (1987), Jeudy de Grissac (1989), Pyman (1953), Sutherland and Brooks (1981).
Contributors: Data-sheet compiled by M. I. Evans.