• Summary
• 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
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	1971	1,457 individuals	A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	passage	1969-1970	15,000 individuals	A4i
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	breeding	1969-1974	5,700-9,000 individuals	A4i
Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus	CR	passage	1970-1977	56-76 individuals	A1, A4i
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	LC	winter	1971	263 individuals	A4i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	winter	1971	1,260 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	passage	1966-1970	2,500-9,999 individuals	A4i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	1965-1966	400-800 breeding pairs	A4i
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	breeding	1965-1972	1,000-2,499 adults	A4i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	passage	1969-1970	580 individuals	A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	1969-1970	18,843-35,552 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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	5,700	5,700	individuals	100	favourable
Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus	76	5	individuals	7	not assessed

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	moderate (70-90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1977	Ab-i-Estada	Waterfowl Sanctuary	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Standing brackish & salt water, Water-fringe vegetation, Temporary water bodies	48
Desert	Desert & semi-desert - clay, Desert & semi-desert - salty	major (>10)
Grassland	Alpine, subalpine & boreal	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)
military	minor (<10)
hunting	minor (<10)

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ab-i-Istada (Afghanistan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ab-i-istada-iba-afghanistan on 23/11/2024.