Current view: Text account
Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
The Dalverzin Government Forestry and Hunting Concession is situated in the bottomland of the middle reaches of the Syrdarya river, 120 km south of Tashkent and 20 km north of Bekabad town. The area of the proposed IBA is 6,000 ha, more than 70% (4,200 ha) is tugay (riverside) forest, more than 20% is rice and wheat fields, and 5-7 % is waterbodies (the large Kolgansyr and Krivoye Lakes, both of which freeze in winter, and the Urtokly canal system flowing into the Syrdarya). The site, which is used for game husbandry, has protection status since 2000, and is subject to the regulations relating to the management of nature reserves, national parks and game husbandry areas of the Republic of Uzbekistan. Main species hunted are Lepus (capensis) tolai, Sus scrofa, Canis aureus, Phasianus colchicus and ducks. Food and cover crops are grown to benefit Phasianus colchicus and Sus scrofa.
This area is also used as a recreation zone by people from Tashkent and the Bekebad district of Tashkent region.
From an ornithological point of view, Dalverzin is interesting in autumn and winter (October – March) when many waterfowl concentrate there. In summer only the biome-restricted species are of interest. Colonies of Ciconia ciconia are situated 3-5 km outside the game husbandry area. These number more than 100 nests and birds feed on the IBA both in the breeding and wintering seasons.
From an ornithological point of view, Dalverzin is interesting in autumn and winter (October – March) when many waterfowl concentrate there. In summer only the biome-restricted species are of interest. Colonies of Ciconia ciconia are situated 3-5 km outside the game husbandry area. These number more than 100 nests and birds feed on the IBA both in the breeding and wintering seasons. This colony formed 2-3 years ago. Until recently Otis tarda nested at Dalverzin but has now disappeared (Meklenburtsev, 1990). The breeding and hunting of pheasants is one of the main directions of the concession.
Non-bird biodiversity: The most important mammals are Canis aureus and Sus scrofa, whose number is rising. It is significant that from Dalverzin a special subspecies of the Great Gerbil - Rhombomys opimus dalversinica - was described. Flora is represented by dense tugay forest along the Syrdarya river, introduced broadleaved trees occur near buildings and along canals, and there are large areas of tamarisk and other bushes.
The area is predominately tugay thickets which used to be cut down until recently. There are also rice and wheat fields. Following protection these crops became foraging places for Greylag Goose, ducks, pigeons and different Passeriformes. Unfrozen sections of the canal provide wintering areas for assemblages of waterfowl in severe winters.
Cattle are grazed in small numbers. In spring and autumn the site is used to a small extent by resting migrants.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Small scale cattle grazing has little influence on habitats. In spring and autumn disturbance by holidaying people is small.
Main threats:
From recent time introducing seaweed unknown to us of a species cultivate in various reservoirs of republic as fodder additives for domestic cattle. This seaweed get in internal reservoirs of the hunting husbandry on channels from the river Syr-Darya. Active vegetation of this seaweed results to full cover internal reservoirs and does their unsuitable for a waterfowl.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Spring and autumn counts of pheasants have been carried out annually since 1999 by a science group from the National University of Uzbekistan. According to 2005 data, the number of pheasants about 20,000 birds (the proportion of males to females is 1 male to 3-4 females).
The proposed IBA is divided into several protection zones: central (750 ha), forestry (1,100ha), reserve (550 ha); Kata Aral (800 ha), Krivoe (750 ha); Putsatovskaya (750 ha); and Jidali (1,000 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dalverzin State Forestry and Hunting Management Area (Uzbekistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dalverzin-state-forestry-and-hunting-management-area-iba-uzbekistan on 23/11/2024.
