Data Zone
Country/territory: China (mainland)
IBA criteria met: A1, A4i, A4iii (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 120,000 hectares (1,200.00 km2)
Site description (2009 baseline)
Ebi Nur is located in the northern part of the Tian Shan mountains, at the south-western tip of Junggar Basin, 30 km north of Jinghe County, 40 km east of Bole (Bortala) City and 400 km west of Urumqi. There are three rivers flowing into this isolated salt lake. It is the second largest lake in Xinjiang but also quite shallow, with an average depth of 2-3 m, meaning that drought or irrigation could damage the ecosystem and the lake might dry up (like Lop Nor). The IBA is an important stop-over site for migratory birds, and the reedbeds and marshes in the south are important breeding habitats for birds.
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: 385 species of arid-zone plants have been recorded in the area, and 117 species of animals including 41 nationally protected species (categories one and two).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ebi Nur and Kuytun River (China (mainland)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ebi-nur-and-kuytun-river-iba-china-(mainland) on 23/12/2024.