Data Zone
Country/territory: Iran, Islamic Republic of
IBA criteria met: A1, B2 (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 5,000 hectares (50.00 km2)
Site description (1994 baseline)
Rolling plains, deeply dissected by a number of intermittent streams, at 1,800 m in northern Kurdistan, c.65 km north of Sanandaj. Most of the area is cultivated with wheat, and there is Artemisia steppe on the adjacent hills. There are few villages and virtually no roads. Land ownership is private.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. Otis tarda is a regular visitor from August to November and may breed; up to 16 were observed by Department of the Environment personnel in the early 1970s, and local farmers reported concentrations of 30-40. Breeding species include Buteo rufinus, Falco tinnunculus, Pterocles orientalis, Columba livia and Athene noctua. Winter visitors include Accipiter nisus and Montifringilla nivalis, and passage migrants include Aquila nipalensis and Grus grus.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Divandareh/Zarrineh Owbatu (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/divandareh-zarrineh-owbatu-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 27/12/2024.