AZ021
Mount Shahdag


Country/territory: Azerbaijan

IBA Criteria met: A1, A3 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here

Area: 3,500 ha

Most recent IBA monitoring assessment
Year of assessment Threat score (pressure) Condition score (state) Action score (response)
2008 high unfavourable medium
For more information about IBA monitoring please click here


Site description
One of the highest mountains in Azerbaijan (4,243 m) with ravines, cliffs, alpine and subalpine meadows, glaciers and eternal snow. Land-uses include sheep-grazing and mountaineering.

Key biodiversity
The alpine and subalpine zones support at least four of the 10 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Eurasian high-montane biome. The site also supports breeding raptors (Gypaetus barbatus, Gyps fulvus, etc.) and, among passerines, Cinclus cinclus, Phoenicurus erythrogaster and Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Aegypius monachus (possibly breeds), Aquila heliaca (possibly breeds).


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Mount Shahdag. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 28/03/2023.