Data Zone
Country/territory: Iran, Islamic Republic of
IBA criteria met: A1, B2, B3 (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 408,000 ha
Site description (1994 baseline)
The site encompasses a region of salt basins, desertic plains and barren rocky hills rising to c.2,750 m in the south-east Zagros Mountains c.90 km south-west of Sirjan. Habitats include bare saline flats subject to flooding during exceptional rains, sandy plains with Zygophyllum steppe, dissected stony outwash plains with sparse Artemisia steppe, and sparsely vegetated rocky hills. Land ownership is public.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. The avifauna is typical of Iran's southern deserts and barren hill ranges. Podoces pleskei is a fairly common resident in Zygophyllum steppe near Beshneh in the east. Other breeding species include Aquila chrysaetos, Falco pelegrinoides (probable), Alectoris chukar, Pterocles orientalis, Athene noctua, Coracias garrulus, C. benghalensis, Alaemon alaudipes and Lanius excubitor. Rare winter visitors include Falco columbarius, Asio otus and A. flammeus. Passage migrants include Aquila nipalensis, Falco peregrinus and Emberiza melanocephala (abundant). At least 65 species have been recorded in the reserve.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Canis lupus (V), Caracal caracal (rare), Panthera pardus (rare), Gazella subgutturosa (rare), Gazella dorcas fuscifrons (V), Capra hircus aegagrus (rare) and Ovis ammon (rare). Equus hemionus (V) was present until at least the late 1970s.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bahram-e-Gour Protected Area (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bahram-e-gour-protected-area-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/11/2024.