Country/territory: China (mainland)
IBA criteria met: A1, A3 (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 36,000 ha
Site description (baseline)
Located on the upper Ili River, at the confluence of the Kunes River and Tekes River, 70 km south south-east of Yining City and 450 km south south-west of Urumqi. The Kunes River flows through the IBA and joins the Ili River. The IBA is an important breeding and staging site for birds.
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: Animals include Vulpes vulpes, Sus scrofa and Cervus elaphus.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ili River basin. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/15441 on 08/06/2023.