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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2005

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	passage	2005	3,000-5,000 individuals	A4i
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	breeding	2005	500-1,000 individuals	A4i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	breeding	2005	400-600 individuals	A4i
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	passage	2005	3,000-4,000 individuals	A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	passage	2005	10,000-30,000 individuals	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	2005	40-100 individuals	A1
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula	LC	passage	2005	8,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	passage	2005	8,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena	LC	passage	2005	300-600 individuals	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	passage	2005	300-1,000 individuals	A4i
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	passage	2005	300-1,000 individuals	A4i
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	LC	breeding	2005	500-1,500 individuals	A4i
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	breeding	2005	200-300 individuals	A4i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	2005	50-100 individuals	A1
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	2005	150-300 individuals	A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	passage	2005	1,500-3,000 individuals	A4i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	2005	400-600 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2005	400-1,000 individuals	A4i
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius	LC	breeding	2005	400-1,000 individuals	A4i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	2005	1,000-2,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	passage	2005	10,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	breeding	2005	100-200 individuals	A1
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	passage	2005	1,500-2,000 individuals	A4i
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2005	1,000-1,500 individuals	A4i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	2005	300-500 individuals	A4i
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	2005	100-200 individuals	A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	resident	2005	6-10 individuals	A1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2005	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - nomadic grazing	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	work and other activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Transportation and service corridors	roads and railroads	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Condition of habitat (state)
Habitat	Habitat Detail	Reference Area (ha)	Actual Area (ha)	% of habitat remaining	% of carrying capacity (overall)	Result
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Standing brackish & salt water	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Water-fringe vegetation	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Cygnus olor	Mute Swan	2	12	individuals	100	favourable
Tadorna tadorna	Common Shelduck	20	2	individuals	10	very unfavourable
Tadorna ferruginea	Ruddy Shelduck	2	6	individuals	100	favourable
Netta rufina	Red-crested Pochard	375	42	individuals	12	very unfavourable
Spatula querquedula	Garganey	12	6	individuals	50	unfavourable
Spatula clypeata	Northern Shoveler	8	2	individuals	25	very unfavourable
Anas platyrhynchos	Mallard	11	35	individuals	100	favourable
Podiceps grisegena	Red-necked Grebe	600	4	individuals	1	very unfavourable
Podiceps cristatus	Great Crested Grebe	10	2	individuals	20	very unfavourable
Phoenicopterus roseus	Greater Flamingo	200	60	individuals	30	very unfavourable
Syrrhaptes paradoxus	Pallas's Sandgrouse	1	4	individuals	100	favourable
Pterocles orientalis	Black-bellied Sandgrouse	1	6	individuals	100	favourable
Fulica atra	Common Coot	782	623	individuals	80	near favourable
Ardea cinerea	Grey Heron	9	1	individuals	12	very unfavourable
Ardea alba	Great White Egret	34	8	individuals	24	very unfavourable
Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant	70	320	individuals	100	favourable
Numenius phaeopus	Whimbrel	17	1	individuals	6	very unfavourable
Limosa limosa	Black-tailed Godwit	2	23	individuals	100	favourable
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull	600	11	individuals	2	very unfavourable
Larus canus	Mew Gull	13	8	individuals	62	unfavourable
Larus cachinnans	Caspian Gull	98	24	individuals	25	very unfavourable
Sternula albifrons	Little Tern	38	18	individuals	48	unfavourable
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	85	15	individuals	18	very unfavourable
Aquila nipalensis	Steppe Eagle	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Circus aeruginosus	Western Marsh-harrier	19	4	individuals	22	very unfavourable
Haliaeetus albicilla	White-tailed Sea-eagle	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Merops persicus	Blue-cheeked Bee-eater	29	21	individuals	73	near favourable
Lanius excubitor	Great Grey Shrike	1	2	individuals	100	favourable
Pica pica	Eurasian Magpie	1	3	individuals	100	favourable
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow	72	32	individuals	45	unfavourable
Alaudala rufescens	Lesser Short-toed Lark	93	16	individuals	18	very unfavourable
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis	Black Lark	1	30	individuals	100	favourable
Panurus biarmicus	Bearded Reedling	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Oenanthe oenanthe	Northern Wheatear	2	23	individuals	100	favourable
Motacilla alba	White Wagtail	27	6	individuals	23	very unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Lesser Aral Sea and Delta of the Syrdarya River	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	330,000	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Water-fringe vegetation, Standing brackish & salt water	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
fisheries/aquaculture	-
water management	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lesser Aral Sea. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2022.