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The Mesopotamian Delta and Marshes make up the largest river delta in the Middle East. The marshlands in this ecoregion are very important for global conservation. Imagine that you lived in ancient Mesopotamia, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. You would have lived among lush vegetation, otters, minnows, and millions of wetland birds. Today, you can relive those ancient times, because this ecoregion is still home to these and other amazing species, including 278 different kinds of birds.
The Tigris and the Euphrates begin in the mountains of Turkey and flow south through Iraq. They run parallel to each other and for much of their course are never more than 100 miles (160 km) apart. They nourish the land and create streams and marshes to both the east and west. Not long after they meet they pour into the Persian Gulf. Of the 278 species of birds that have been recorded in the Mesopotamian Delta and Marshes, nearly half are wetland birds. Large numbers of migrating birds winter in the ecoregion, such as pygmy cormorants, red-breasted geese, and lesser white-fronted geese. Numerous other species of waterbirds and birds of prey frequent the ecoregion. These marshes support almost the entire world population of two bird species: the Basra reed warbler and the Iraq babbler. In addition to birds, the Tigris and Euphrates, as well as the streams they create, are home to otters and are dominated by minnows.
Pressures on the Mesopotamian Delta and Marshes increase as human population grows and water becomes scarcer. Dams on the Tigris and Euphrates divert water for agriculture, which destroys habitat and takes nutrients out of the soil. And when water used to farm is flushed back into the rivers, they become too salty for many plants, fish, and birds to survive in. Dams also reduce the natural flow of water to the delta and restrict seasonal floods. Many people fish and hunt in the delta and put increasing pressure on fish and other wildlife populations. Much of the fighting during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) and bombings during the Persian Gulf War occurred in and around the wetlands and caused considerable damage to the marsh ecosystems. The threat of large-scale oil pollution from oil production in the region is also a concern.
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