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The site was identified as important in 2006 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding	2006	50-249 individuals	A1
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	LC	breeding	2006	48 individuals	A3
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	breeding	2006	250-999 individuals	A1
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	breeding	2006	< 50 individuals	A3
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis	EN	breeding	2005-2006	300-350 breeding pairs	A3
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	breeding	2006	2 breeding pairs	A1
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus	NT	breeding	2005-2006	< 50 individuals	A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	2005-2006	74 individuals	A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	breeding	2006	18 breeding pairs	A1
White-winged Lark Alauda leucoptera	LC	breeding	2006	1,000-2,499 individuals	A3

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2006).

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Anser anser	Greylag Goose	1	38	individuals	100	favourable
Mergus merganser	Goosander	4	4	individuals	100	favourable
Spatula querquedula	Garganey	1	120	individuals	100	favourable
Mareca strepera	Gadwall	1	9	individuals	100	favourable
Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard	100	8	individuals	8	very unfavourable
Anas crecca		30	30	individuals	100	favourable
Podiceps cristatus	Great Crested Grebe	96	96	individuals	100	favourable
Fulica atra	Common Coot	994	994	individuals	100	favourable
Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant	164	164	individuals	100	favourable
Vanellus vanellus	Northern Lapwing	2	2	individuals	100	favourable
Numenius phaeopus	Whimbrel	2	2	individuals	100	favourable
Calidris pugnax	Ruff	4	4	individuals	100	favourable
Actitis hypoleucos	Common Sandpiper	3	3	individuals	100	favourable
Tringa totanus	Common Redshank	20	20	individuals	100	favourable
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull	526	526	individuals	100	favourable
Larus canus	Mew Gull	62	62	individuals	100	favourable
Larus cachinnans	Caspian Gull	80	80	individuals	100	favourable
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	48	48	individuals	100	favourable
Milvus migrans		1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Upupa epops	Common Hoopoe	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Coracias garrulus	European Roller	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Alcedo atthis	Common Kingfisher	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Falco tinnunculus	Common Kestrel	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Pica pica	Eurasian Magpie	2	2	individuals	100	favourable
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow	8	8	individuals	100	favourable
Hirundo rustica	Barn Swallow	12	12	individuals	100	favourable
Sturnus vulgaris	Common Starling	30	30	individuals	100	favourable
Passer montanus	Eurasian Tree Sparrow	20	20	individuals	100	favourable
Motacilla citreola	Citrine Wagtail	10	10	individuals	100	favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Forest	Flood-plain	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Forest	Native coniferous	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Grassland	Humid	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Grassland	Steppes & dry calcareous	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Inland cliffs	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Standing brackish & salt water	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Standing fresh water	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Energy production and mining	mining and quarrying	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	roads and railroads	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Transportation and service corridors	utility & service lines	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	negligible

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Flood-plain, Native coniferous	-
Grassland	Steppes & dry calcareous, Humid	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Standing brackish & salt water, Standing fresh water	-
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Inland cliffs, Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas	-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
rangeland/pastureland	-
forestry	-
urban/industrial/transport	-
not utilised	-

Mixed, with state ownership accounting for the majority.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Western and northern foothills of the Kalba Range. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/western-and-northern-foothills-of-the-kalba-range-iba-kazakhstan on 04/10/2023.