Data Zone
The site was identified as important in 2007 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala | EN | breeding | 2005 | 2 individuals | A1 |
| Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus | NT | breeding | 2007 | 30 individuals | A1 |
| Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo | LC | breeding | 2007 | 905 individuals | A4i |
| Pallas's Gull Larus ichthyaetus | LC | breeding | 2004 | 897 individuals | A3, A4i |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding | 2007 | 6,000 individuals | A4i |
| Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica | LC | breeding | 2007 | 450 individuals | A4i |
The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2007).
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2014 | favourable | very high | high |
| Was the whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Habitat detail | Reference area (ha) | Actual area (ha) | Habitat quantity (% remaining) | Habitat quality (carrying capacity) | Result |
| Desert | Desert & semi-desert - clay | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | good (> 90%) | favourable |
| Desert | Desert & semi-desert - stony | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | good (> 90%) | favourable |
| Grassland | Steppes & dry calcareous | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | good (> 90%) | favourable |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | Inland cliffs | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | good (> 90%) | favourable |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | good (> 90%) | favourable |
| Shrubland | Low bushes | 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 |
| Biological resource use | fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Biological resource use | hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - motivation unknown/unrecorded | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | drought | happening now | whole area/population (>90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | very high |
| Climate change and severe weather | storms and floods | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | temperature extremes | happening now | whole area/population (>90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | very high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | recreational activities | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | work and other activities | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Residential and commercial development | tourism and recreation areas | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected-area designation | Management planning | Other conservation action | Result |
| Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | high |
| Protected area (PA) | PA designation | PA area (ha) | Relationship of PA with IBA | Overlap of PA with IBA (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alakolsky | State Nature Reserve | 19,777 | protected area overlaps with site | 332 |
| Habitat (IUCN level 1) | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | Low bushes | - |
| Grassland | Steppes & dry calcareous | - |
| Desert | Desert & semi-desert - stony, Desert & semi-desert - clay | - |
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing brackish & salt water, Standing fresh water, Rivers & streams | - |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | Inland cliffs, Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas | - |
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Alakol Islands. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-alakol-islands-iba-kazakhstan on 27/09/2023.
