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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
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	passage	2005	14,300 individuals	A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	passage	2005	40,100 individuals	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	2001-2005	25-61 individuals	A1
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	breeding	2001	580 individuals	A4i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	2001	100 individuals	A1, A4i
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	passage	2005	10,000 individuals	A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2005	20,000 individuals	A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2007).

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Phasianus colchicus	Common Pheasant	1	4	individuals	100	favourable
Cygnus olor	Mute Swan	20	18	individuals	90	near favourable
Anser anser	Greylag Goose	65	106	individuals	100	favourable
Tadorna tadorna	Common Shelduck	25	6	individuals	24	very unfavourable
Tadorna ferruginea	Ruddy Shelduck	8	2	individuals	25	very unfavourable
Netta rufina	Red-crested Pochard	34	127	individuals	100	favourable
Spatula querquedula	Garganey	34	7	individuals	21	very unfavourable
Spatula clypeata	Northern Shoveler	20	8	individuals	40	unfavourable
Anas crecca		1	6	individuals	100	favourable
Podiceps grisegena	Red-necked Grebe	1	10	individuals	100	favourable
Podiceps cristatus	Great Crested Grebe	1	3	individuals	100	favourable
Syrrhaptes paradoxus	Pallas's Sandgrouse	2	52	individuals	100	favourable
Pterocles orientalis	Black-bellied Sandgrouse	122	22	individuals	19	very unfavourable
Pterocles alchata	Pin-tailed Sandgrouse	1000	6	individuals	1	very unfavourable
Fulica atra	Common Coot	37	244	individuals	100	favourable
Ardea cinerea	Grey Heron	2	10	individuals	100	favourable
Ardea alba	Great White Egret	19	24	individuals	100	favourable
Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant	1	174	individuals	100	favourable
Limosa limosa	Black-tailed Godwit	2	4	individuals	100	favourable
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull	50	62	individuals	100	favourable
Larus canus	Mew Gull	40	55	individuals	100	favourable
Larus cachinnans	Caspian Gull	15	101	individuals	100	favourable
Sternula albifrons	Little Tern	4	15	individuals	100	favourable
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	5	24	individuals	100	favourable
Circus aeruginosus	Western Marsh-harrier	6	8	individuals	100	favourable
Merops persicus	Blue-cheeked Bee-eater	1	33	individuals	100	favourable
Lanius excubitor	Great Grey Shrike	1	3	individuals	100	favourable
Corvus corone	Carrion Crow	2	94	individuals	100	favourable
Alaudala rufescens		72	80	individuals	100	favourable
Melanocorypha yeltoniensis	Black Lark	1	78	individuals	100	favourable
Galerida cristata	Crested Lark	6	2	individuals	34	very unfavourable
Oenanthe oenanthe	Northern Wheatear	1	61	individuals	100	favourable
Motacilla alba	White Wagtail	167	4	individuals	3	very unfavourable

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 - salty	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Desert	Desert & semi-desert - sandy	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Grassland	Humid	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Grassland	Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Shrubland	Low bushes	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Standing fresh water	0	0	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	Water-fringe vegetation	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
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - nomadic grazing	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
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	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (commercial use)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (domestic use)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Pollution	garbage & solid waste	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
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	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Transportation and service corridors	utility & service lines	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

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	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 conservation status, please click here

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Standing fresh water, Water-fringe vegetation	-
Desert	Desert & semi-desert - clay, Desert & semi-desert - salty, Desert & semi-desert - sandy	-
Forest	Flood-plain	-
Shrubland	Low bushes	-
Grassland	Humid, Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Highly improved reseeded grasslands	-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Syrdarya Delta Lakes. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/syrdarya-delta-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 04/12/2023.