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The site was identified as important in 2007 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	breeding	1998	1 individuals	A1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1998	319 individuals	A1
Yellow-eyed Pigeon Columba eversmanni	VU	breeding	1998	18 individuals	A1, A3
Pallas's Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	1998	559 individuals	A1, A4i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	1998	1,362 individuals	A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	breeding	1998	1,619 individuals	A4i
Pallid Scops-owl Otus brucei	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A1
White-winged Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucopterus	LC	resident	2005	unknown	A3
Great Tit Parus major	LC	resident	2005	unknown	A3
Sykes's Warbler Iduna rama	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
Asian Desert Warbler Curruca nana	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
Saxaul Sparrow Passer ammodendri	LC	resident	2005	unknown	A3
Desert Finch Rhodospiza obsoleta	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
Red-headed Bunting Emberiza bruniceps	LC	breeding	2005	unknown	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	-	1998	20,000 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2014) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Grassland	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Forest	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Desert	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Unknown	No management planning has taken place	Unknown	negligible

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Iliiskaja delta	Zakaznik	8
1967	Pribalkhashskiy	Zakaznik	30
1979	Karoiskiy	Zakaznik	35
2012	Ili River Delta and South Lake Balkhash	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	-

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Standing fresh water, Water-fringe vegetation	65
Desert	Desert & semi-desert - clay, Desert & semi-desert - sandy	15
Shrubland	Scrub	10
Forest	Flood-plain, Wooded desert & semi-desert	5
Grassland	Dry grassland on sandy soils	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	50
agriculture	20
water management	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ili River Delta (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ili-river-delta-iba-kazakhstan on 23/11/2024.