KZ013
Aktau cliff faces


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 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 List Season (year/s of estimate) Size IBA criteria
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus EN breeding (2004) 10 pairs A1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni LC breeding (2004) 120 pairs A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug EN breeding (2004) 138 pairs A1, A4ii

IBA Conservation

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2013 good high very low
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes habitat poor

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat Quantity (% remaining) Quality (% carrying capacity) Result
Desert good (>90%) good (>90%) good
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) good (>90%) good (>90%) good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Transportation and service corridors happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations) high
Human intrusions and disturbance happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations) high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation Planning Action Result
Unknown Unknown Unknown very low

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
1978 Northen Part of Caspian Sea State Reservation (-) 6
1982 Aktay-Buzachinskiy Zakaznik (IV) 26

Habitats

Habitat % of IBA Habitat detail
Desert 55 Desert & semi-desert - stony; Desert & semi-desert - salty; Desert & semi-desert - clay
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) 35 Inland cliffs
Wetlands (inland) 10 Standing brackish & salt water

Land use

Land use % of IBA
nature conservation and research 15
rangeland/pastureland minor (<10)
energy production and mining minor (<10)


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Aktau cliff faces (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/aktau-cliff-faces-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.