Country/territory: China (mainland)
IBA Criteria met: A1, A3, A4i (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 120,000 ha
Protection status:
Site description
Located in the central part of the Altay Mountains, on the border between China and Mongolia. The IBA includes the Kara Ertix He river, a tributary of the Ertix River, and Youyi Feng (4,374 m) and Kuytun Shan (4,104 m), which are the highest peaks in the Altay Mountains.
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: Nationally protected animals include Ursus arctos and Cervus elaphus, and the fish Hucho spp.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Altay forest and steppe. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 15/01/2021.