MN043
Dashinchilen Bayan Lake


Country/territory: Mongolia

IBA criteria met: A1, A4i (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 50,200 ha


Site description (2007 baseline)
Dashinchilen Bayan Lake is a small saline steppe lake surrounded by extensive steppe grassland. The southeastern side of the lake is marshy with reeds and tall grasses. After heavy rain, the whole valley becomes flooded. The main land use is livestock grazing. A highway passes just south of the lake. A small freshwater lake to the south-east is used by local people and livestock. The water level in Dashinchilen Bayan Lake has decreased signifi cantly because of drought. Overgrazing is a serious threat to surrounding steppe habitats.

Key biodiversity
The site is used by the following Globally Threatened species: Swan Goose Anser cygnoides (EN); White-naped Crane Grus vipio (VU); and Great Bustard Otis tarda (VU). The site also supports at least 1% of the flyway populations of the following congregatory waterbird species: Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea; Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula; Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo; Common Crane Grus grus; Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus; Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta; Pacific Golden Plover Pluvialis fulva; and Herring Gull Larus argentatus.

Non-bird biodiversity: Nationally threatened mammalian species, such as Red Fox Vulpes vulpes, Corsac Fox V. corsac, Grey Wolf Canis lupus and Siberian Marmot Marmota sibirica (EN), can be seen around the lake.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dashinchilen Bayan Lake. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dashinchilen-bayan-lake-iba-mongolia on 19/03/2024.