Data Zone
Country/territory: Uzbekistan
IBA criteria met: A1, A4i, A4iii (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 4,189 hectares (41.89 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2007 | not assessed | very high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2007 baseline)
The IBA is situated 60-70 km north-east of Karshi town. It belongs to the Kamashi and Chirakchi (south-eastern part of the reservoir) districts of Karshinskaya province. The reservoir is of the channel storage type and is located in the Kashkadarya river basin. The area of the reservoir is 44.4 km2, with a length of 17.5 km, maximum width of 5.5 km, average depth of 17.2 m, and a maximum depth of 30m. Its water is used for irrigation. The area has an acutely continental climate with hot and long summers, and short winters with little snow.
Key biodiversity
172 species of 15 orders have been recorded in the Kashkadarya river valley (Meklenburtsev, 1958). Сiconiiformes - 5 (2.90%), Anseriformes - 7 (4.06%), Falconiformes - 21(12.20%), Galliformes – 4 (2.32%), Gruiformes - 5 (2.90%), Charadriiformes - 22 (12.79%), Columbiformes - 9 (5.23 %), Cuculiformes - 1 (0.58%), Strigiformes - 4 (2.32%), Caprimulgiformes - 1 (0.58 %), Apodiformes – 2 (1.16%), Coraciiformes - (2.32%), Upupiformes - 1 (0.58%), Piciformes - 2 (1.16%) and Passeriformes - 84 (48.83%).
According to the literature (Meklenburtsev, 1958) Crex crex was recorded once during autumn migration near Chirakchi and Aythya nyroca once on the Kashkadarya river.
Coracias garrulus is common and numerous breeding in the steep loess banks of the Kashkadarya (Meklenburtsev, 1958). The IBA surveys were in winter and early spring, so there is no more detailed information about current numbers of this species.
Non-bird biodiversity: R.N. Meklenburtsev (1958) published data on the vertebrate animals in the Kashkadarya river valley. From insectivores, Hemiechinus auritus is common and H.hypomelas was found once. There are 5 species of Chiroptera but they are not numerous and are only found sporadically. Predators include Vulpes vulpes (widespread) and Canis aureus, C.lupus and Felis lybica are rare. Sus scrofa was recorded between Shahrisabs and Chirakchi. Of Rodents, Spermophilus fulvus, Rhombomis opinus and Ellobius tancrei are widespread. Reptiles are represented by 28 species: Testudines – 1 species (Agrionemis horsfieldi), lizards – 16 species, with Cyrtopodion caspius, Trapelus sanguinolentus and Phrynocephalus interckapularis being common; Varanus griseus is more rare. There are 11 species of snakes with Natrix tessellata, Coluber karelini and Psammophis lineolatum being common. Amphibia are represented by Rana ridibunda and Bufo viridis. Fish include Carssius auratus gibelio, Alburnoides bipunctatus eichwaldi, Varicorhynus capoeta, Heratensis nation steindachneri, Sabanejewia aurata aralensis, Nemacheilus malapterurus longicaudata, N. amudarjensis, N. oxianus, N. stoliczkai in the Kashkadarya river. The present ichthyofauna of the Kashkadarya river basin contains 23 species and subspecies (Mirzaev, 2000).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Chimkurgan Reservoir (Uzbekistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/chimkurgan-reservoir-iba-uzbekistan on 23/12/2024.