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

Site description (2007 baseline)
Airkhan Lake is located south of a major tributary of the Eg River. The lake is largely dependent on rainfall, and, in dry years, it becomes two separate pools. There are agricultural fields, mainly for wheat, near the lake. Local people use water from the lake for domestic use and livestock. Trampling of reeds and wet grassland by livestock is a serious threat to the site. The water level has fallen, a phenomenon that has been attributed to a warmer climate.

Key biodiversity
Globally Threatened bird species recorded at the site comprise Swan Goose Anser cygnoides (EN), Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus (VU), Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca (VU) and Great Bustard Otis tarda (VU). The site also supports at least 1% of the flyway populations of Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Common Crane Grus grus and Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus.

Non-bird biodiversity: No information is available on other fauna and flora.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Airkhan Lake (Mongolia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/airkhan-lake-iba-mongolia on 22/11/2024.