Data Zone
Country/territory: China (mainland)
IBA criteria met: A1, A3, A4i, A4iii (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 190,000 ha
Site description (2009 baseline)
Located 60 km east north-east of Korla City and 200 km south of Urumqi. Bosten Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, with an area of 1,001 km2. The Karaxahar (Kaidu) River flows into the lake. There are extensive reedbeds and marshes around the lake, and it is an important breeding and staging site for birds.
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: There were historical records of Panthera tigris, but it is now locally extinct. Other animals include Vulpes vulpes and Sus scrofa.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bosten Lake (China (mainland)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bosten-lake-iba-china-(mainland) on 22/11/2024.