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

Site description (2007 baseline)
Baga and Bayan Lakes are located in the northeast of Zuungobi soum, Uvs aimag. There is also a third, smaller, lake, called Shavart, to the west of the soum centre. Baga Lake is fed by small springs. This lake has dense reed vegetation along its western, northern and southern shores and numerous bays and islands. Bayan Lake is a freshwater lake, located 10 km to the northeast of Baga Lake, in the Borig Del sand dunes. Both lakes are frozen from November until April. There are sand dunes and grasslands in the surrounding area. Agricultural fi elds of the Baruun Turuun state farm are located not far from the lakes and provide habitat for feeding waterbirds. There is also livestock grazing taking place in the area. The site is considered suitable for recreation and ecotourism development. Pressures include overgrazing and trampling of lake-shore vegetation, and tourism at present is poorly regulated. The lake levels have fallen recently because of drought.

Key biodiversity
The site supports an assemblage of species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and desert biome. Congregatory waterbirds that occur in numbers exceeding 1% of their flyway populations are Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus, White Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Red-crested Pochard Netta rufi na, Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo and Common Crane Grus grus.

Non-bird biodiversity: Potanin's Osman Oreoleuciscus potanini probably occurs at the site. Fishery research has never been carried out, however, and a number of rare and threatened species may occur.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Baga and Bayan Lakes (Mongolia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/baga-and-bayan-lakes-iba-mongolia on 22/11/2024.