Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A small reservoir (used for irrigation) in an area of deciduous woodland on the narrow coastal plain of the Caspian Sea, c.7 km south of Astara. The dam lies at the foot of the forested coastal ranges, west of the Astara to Bandar Anzali highway. In late winter and spring parts of the surrounding woodland are flooded, while at low water level in late summer some mudflats are exposed. There is some emergent marsh vegetation, numerous tall dead trees and an adjacent area of swampy woodland.
See box for key species. The swampy woodland and dead trees in the lake support a large breeding colony of
Phalacrocorax carbo plus much smaller numbers of four species of herons and egrets.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
No conservation measures are known to have been proposed. Much of the surrounding forest has been cleared for pasture and cultivation (mainly fruit and vegetables).
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Abbas-abad dam (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/abbas-abad-dam-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/12/2024.
