Nature Iraq (BirdLife in Iraq) has completed their fifth winter survey of Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) across the country. “From Kurdistan in the north, to the Mesopotamian Marshlands in the south, our surveys have highlighted the global importance of Iraq for birds, biodiversity and people”, said Dr Azzam Alwash – CEO of Nature Iraq.

Along with sightings of several Globally Threatened and endemic birds, the survey teams discovered an endemic sub-species of otter, and observed a worrying drought.

Nature Iraq have been working in coordination with Iraq’s Ministry of the Environment to conduct survey and monitoring work at KBAs since 2005. “Nature Iraq’s KBA project has sought to locate and assess potential areas of biological diversity, and to install a programme of monitoring”, said Dr Alwash.

This winter’s KBA surveys covered 65 sites, of which 12 in Kurdistan, and 53 in the middle and south of Iraq - including 14 new locations. “Two teams have been working hard to record the unique ecology of Iraq”, commented Ibrahim Al-khader - BirdLife’s Director for the Middle East. “The BirdLife Partnership will continue to support Nature Iraq’s work to identify and conserve sites globally important for biodiversity”.