Current view: Text account
Site description (2005 baseline):
Site location and context
The Dushakerekdag Ridge is located in the Central Kopetdag mountains. The total area of the IBA is 13,003 hectares or almost 5% of the area of the Central Kopetdag (279,100 hectares).
The highest points are Dushak - 2,482m, Heyrabad - 2,027m and Harlasang - 1,644m above sea level. There are springs in the vicinities of Heyrabad, Chaek and Beyikzovcheshme, but sometimes these dry up. Permanent watercourses are absent.
The Dushakerekdag Ridge is a good representative example of the landscapes-biotopes of the most important habitats for birds in the Central Kopetdag.
The avifauna includes 158 species, 89 nesting. A large number are from biome CA06. However, the number of species recorded in recent years has noticeably decreased: Gyps fulvus (from 1991), Aegypius monachus (from 1992), Falco naumanni (from 1995), Falco cherrug and Gypaetus barbatus (from 1999), Accipiter nisus (from 1998), Milvus migrans (from 2000). These species are recorded regularly, but not breeding. Various habitats (desert, forest, stony-rocky etc.) support representatives of the fauna and populations of birds of the Central Kopetdag.
Criterion А1 applies for Aegypius monachus, Falco cherrug and Falco naumanni, species which are listed in the IUCN Red List and regularly occur in the IBA. Aquila heliaca, Circaetus gallicus and Circus macrourus also occur but information is not currently available to justify their inclusion under this criterion. There is also a small number of Coracias garrulus. Nesting Buteo buteo, Circaetus gallicus, Aquila chrysaetos, Gypaetus barbatus, Falco peregrinus, Tetraogallus caspius and Bubo bubo are all listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999).
Criterion А3 applies for species of the Irano-Turanian mountains (Biome CA06) which breed including: Ammoperdix griseogularis, Oenanthe finschii, Oenanthe xanthoprimna, Oenanthe picata, Phylloscopus neglectus, Sitta tephronota and Emberiza buchanani.
There are also species from the Eurasian high mountains (Biome CA05): Tetraogallus caspius, Anthus spinoletta, Prunella collaris, Tichodroma muraria, Serinus pusillus, Rhodopechys sanguinea, Montifringilla nivalis, Mycerobas carnipes, and from the Sino-Himalayan Temperate forest (Biome CA07): Phoenicurus erythronota.
Migrants include Circus macrourus, Aquila nipalensis, Aquila heliaca, Ammomanes deserti, Scotocerca inquieta, Rhodospiza obsoleta, Emberiza bruniceps and Sylvia nana.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals are represented by more than 40 species (Zykov, Korshunov, 1986; Mammals of Turkmenistan, 1995).
The number of Sus scrofa nigripes, Capra aegagrus turcmenicus and Ovis vignei cycloceros has decreased. These are the basic prey of leopard which is also decreasing. The number of Ovis vignei cycloceros over the last 20 years has decreased 2-3 fold (Lukarevskiy et al, 2001; Efimenko, 1992, 2004). The following species are listed in the National Red Data Book (1999): Myotis nattereri, Miniopterus schreibersi, Myomimus personatus, Calomyscus bailwardi, Panthera pardus, Felis lynx, Felis manul, Capra aegagrus turcmenicus and Ovis vignei cycloceros.
Amphibians and reptiles are represented by Rana ridibunda and Bufo viridis turanensis plus more than 18 species of reptile (Atayev, 1985).
The flora of Dushakerekdag is represented by 917 species (441 genus and 88 families).
A characteristic of the IBA is a high percentage of endemic species (143 species, 16.4%). Red Data Book of Turkmenistan plants (1999) include: Juniperus turcomanica, Prionotrichon gaudanense, Tulipa micheliana, Tulipa wilsoniana, Hyacinthus transcaspicus and Allium vavilovii.
The richness of the flora and high number of endemics means that the Dushakerekdag can be considered as a natural model of the Central Kopetdag.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
An analysis of the threats and their importance for the IBA shows that overgrazing, cutting of trees and shrubs, fires and illegal hunting are causing an irreparable loss of natural ecosystems and of habitats for birds. The IBA is often visited by unorganized tourists.
In the Sumbar valley construction of infrastructure for recreation and tourism is underway.
The IBA is convenient for conducting monitoring of fauna and bird populations. The establishment of a protected area at Dushakerekdag will aid the survival of threatened species (Criteria A1) and biome-restricted birds.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
Two recent projects have been concerned with problems of Dushakerekdaga:
- 2003-2006 - Project GEF-UNEP-WWF « Projecting ECONET for long-term biodiversity protection » (WWF - the executive organization, the partner - the Ministry of Nature Protection)
- 2003-2005 - Project UNDP « Improvement of protected areas system in
Turkmenistan (ECONET) » (the executive organization - the Ministry of Nature Protection).
Not protected.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dushakerekdag (Turkmenistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dushakerekdag-iba-turkmenistan on 22/11/2024.
