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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2006 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
Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis	LC	resident (2000–2006)	100–150 pairs	A3
Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	6–20 pairs	A3
Goosander Mergus merganser	LC	passage (2000–2006)	350–700 birds	A4i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	passage (2000–2006)	2,000–2,500 birds	A4i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	breeding (2000–2006)	20–30 pairs	A3
Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	25–50 pairs	A3
Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis	NT	resident (2000–2006)	4–5 pairs	A3
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	passage (2000–2006)	7 birds	A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	breeding (2000–2006)	2 birds	A1
Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus	LC	resident (2000–2006)	50–60 pairs	A3
Hume's Lark Calandrella acutirostris	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	50–70 pairs	A3
Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	10–15 pairs	A3
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria	LC	resident (2000–2006)	3 pairs	A3
White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus	LC	resident (2000–2006)	15–20 pairs	A3
White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis	LC	resident (2000–2006)	60–90 pairs	A3
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	100–150 pairs	A3
Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla	LC	resident (2000–2006)	45–120 pairs	A3
Red-fronted Rosefinch Carpodacus puniceus	LC	resident (2000–2006)	20–25 pairs	A3
Brandt's Mountain-finch Leucosticte brandti	LC	resident (2000–2006)	1,000–1,500 birds	A3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2006. The most recent assessment (2006) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in long term (>4 years)	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Unknown	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1999	Таджикский Национальный парк	Национальный парк (II)	53
2013	Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs)	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA)	53

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Desert	30
Grassland	30
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	28
Wetlands (inland)	12

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	50
agriculture	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bulunkul and Yashilkul lakes and mountains (Tajikistan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bulunkul-and-yashilkul-lakes-and-mountains-iba-tajikistan on 22/12/2024.