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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
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	LC	breeding (-)	10–15 birds	B1i
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	breeding (-)	1–2 pairs	B1i
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage (2002)	1,000–3,000 birds	A4i, B1i
Great Bustard Otis tarda	EN	breeding (-)	150–250 birds	A1, B2
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	breeding (1989)	10 pairs	A1
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius	CR	passage (1989)	120–155 birds	A1, A4i, B1i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	passage (1989)	1,000 birds	A1, A4i, B1i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding (1989–1996)	300 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding (-)	20–25 pairs	B3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	poor (40–69%)	poor (40–69%)	very poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Little/none of area covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	very low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
2016	Bulanık Ovası Sulak Alanları	Wetland of National Importance (-)	-

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Wetlands (inland)	65	Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation
Artificial/Terrestrial	30	Arable land; Ruderal land
Grassland	5	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	80
agriculture	20

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bulanık and Malazgirt Plains (Türkiye). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bulanık-and-malazgirt-plains-iba-türkiye on 26/12/2024.