Data Zone
Country/territory: Afghanistan
IBA criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 150,000 ha
Site description (baseline)
Foothills of the Safed Koh range, which become higher to the north in adjacent Nangarhar province; situated east of Gardez along Pakistan border, at 1,100-3,000 m. In the hills are remnants of Quercus baloot forest, replaced at higher altitudes by forests of Cedrus deodara, Abies webbiana, Picea morinda and Pinus excelsa. The steppe around Khost itself has groves of the palm Chamaerops ritchienna.
Key biodiversity
A poorly studied region at the western limit of many Himalayan forest birds. Species known to occur, and presumably breeding, include Halcyon smyrnensis, Anthus similis, Cercotrichas galactotes, Scotocerca inquieta, Muscicapa ruficauda, Myiophonus caeruleus, Parus melanolophus, Sitta leucopsis, Dicrurus macrocercus, Garrulus lanceolatus, Nucifraga caryocatactes, Serinus pusillus, Mycerobas icterioides and Emberiza cia.
Non-bird biodiversity: No information.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Khost. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/8013 on 04/06/2023.
