Data Zone
Country/territory: Turkmenistan
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4iii (2005)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 13,672 hectares (136.72 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2005 | not assessed | high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2005 baseline)
The IBA encompasses the coastal strip up to 3 km wide and 85 km long and covers the following sites: between Capes Garasengir and Guvly (1,015 hectares); Guvlymayak lagoons (390 hectares); between Capes Kianly and Aksengir (408 hectares); and Aksengir to Tarta (234 hectares). The site as a whole is low lying with small depressions and bays. The coast is basically sand dunes, 50 to 100 m wide, forming large barkhan ranges with, in depressions, small solonchaks and seawater seepage forming areas of flooding separated from the coast, for example at Guvlymayak.
Key biodiversity
The avifauna includes not less than 280 species, of which 240 (86%) are passage-wintering birds, including 120 (43%) waterbirds, representing 46 and 23% of the total avifauna of Central Asia respectively.
Passeriformes are the most diverse (96 species), followed by Haematopodidae (45), Anseriformes (28), Falconiformes (27) and Laridae (16). The most typical species on migration are coots and ducks (Netta rufina, Aythya ferina, Anas platyrhynchos, Aythya fuligula, Aythya marila, Anas penelope, etc.), plus waders, gulls and terns.
The IBA is located on a major migratory flyway along the east coast of the Caspian. In spring there is a high turnover rate of migrants, with migration beginning in the middle of March and continuing to the end of April. The autumn migration shows several peaks and is prolonged lasting from the end of August to the beginning and middle of November.
The following species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999) have been recorded: Platalea leucorodia, Phoenicopterus roseus, Anthropoides virgo, Buteo buteo, Pandion haliaetus, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Falco peregrinus, Circaetus gallicus, Burhinus oedicnemus, plus the non-migratory - Aquila chrysaetos, Falco cherrug and Bubo bubo. The globally threatened Vanellus gregarius and Aquila heliaca have also been recorded.
Non-bird biodiversity: Fauna includes 40 species of mammals, half from which are rodents (21 species), the others are predators (8), chiropterans (5), insectivores (4), ungulates (2). Reptiles are represented by 30 species, the most significant are the snakes Natrix natrix and Natrix tessellata and the Central Asian agama (Agama sanguinolenta). The flora includes more than 370 species of higher plants. The vegetation of the coast is represented by halophytic and salsolas communities. Sandy areas though are fixed by vegetation, but it is sparse: ephedra, a few species of Calligonum, Salsola richteri, and saxaul (Haloxylon persicum) which is very rare. Carex physodes also occurs sparsely together with a variety of ephemerals.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Garshy - Tarta (Turkmenistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/garshy--tarta-iba-turkmenistan on 19/12/2024.