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• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 1994 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	LC	winter	1970-1977	63 individuals	A4i, B1i
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	1977-1992	80-4,500 individuals	A4i, B1i
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	passage	1977	265 individuals	A4i, B1i
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	passage	1977	35,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	resident	1977	4,000-5,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	winter	1977-1992	16,140-64,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	resident	1977	300-500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	winter	1977-1992	224-3,500 individuals	A4i, B1i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1977	4 breeding pairs	B1i
Garganey Spatula querquedula	LC	passage	1977	21,200 individuals	A4i, B1i
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	passage	1977	8,225 individuals	A4i, B1i
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	breeding	1977	15,000-25,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter	1970-1977	19,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Great Bustard Otis tarda	EN	non-breeding	1977	19 individuals	A1
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	1977	common	B2
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	1977	50-100 breeding pairs	B1i
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus	LC	breeding	1977	100 breeding pairs	B1i
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	breeding	1977	90 breeding pairs	B1i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	1977	1,000-1,600 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	1977	1,500-2,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage	1977	13,600 individuals	A4i, B1i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	1977	300-500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus	NT	breeding	1977	500-1,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus	NT	passage	1977	3,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	passage	1977	9,440 individuals	B1i
Little Stint Calidris minuta	LC	passage	1977	10,000 individuals	A4i, B1i
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	breeding	1977	2,000-3,000 breeding pairs	B1i
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage	1977	8,330 individuals	B1i
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	1970-1977	7,080 individuals	B1i
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis	LC	passage	1977	1,395 individuals	A4i, B1i
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1977	50-100 breeding pairs	B1i
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	breeding	1977	3,000-4,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	passage	1977	19,565 individuals	A4i, B1i
Armenian Gull Larus armenicus	LC	breeding	1977	4,000-5,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	breeding	1977	100-200 breeding pairs	B1i
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus	EN	breeding	1977	10 breeding pairs	B2
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus	LC	breeding	1977	5 breeding pairs	B2
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1977-1992	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	1977-1992	100,000-499,999 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1994) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1994. The most recent assessment (1994) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1975	Lake Urmia [or Orumiyeh]	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1975	Urumieh lake	National Park	96
1976	Lake Urmia [or Orumiyeh]	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	96

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)		96
Artificial/Terrestrial		minor (<10)
Grassland		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	96
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Uromiyeh (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-uromiyeh-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 22/11/2024.