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Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
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.
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.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The entire area was designated a Protected Area in 1973. There is no information on any threats.
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.
