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The site was identified as important in 2008 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	2006	29 individuals	A1
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	VU	passage	1986	common	A1
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	VU	passage	1986	common	A1
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	passage	2005-2006	4,375-39,100 individuals	A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	breeding	2006	17,905 individuals	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	passage	2005	50 individuals	A1
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	breeding	2006	383-624 individuals	A4i
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	passage	2005-2006	86,730 individuals	A4i
Siberian Crane Leucogeranus leucogeranus	CR	passage	1986	rare	A1
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	LC	passage	2005	1,075 individuals	A4i
Great Bustard Otis tarda	EN	breeding	1986	rare	A1, A3
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	passage	2005-2006	403 individuals	A4i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	2006	428 individuals	A1, A4i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	2006	473 individuals	A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	passage	2005	1,879 individuals	A4i
Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius	CR	passage	1986	rare	A1
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	breeding	2006	1,010 individuals	A1, A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	breeding	1986	frequent	A1, A3
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis	EN	breeding	1986	common	A3
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	breeding	2005-2006	5 individuals	A1, A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	1986	frequent	A1
White-winged Lark Alauda leucoptera	LC	breeding	1986	common	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2005-2006	20,000 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2008) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2008. The most recent assessment (2010) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Shrubland	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Grassland	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
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Turgayskiy	State Nature Reserve	53
1967	Turgaiskiy	Zakaznik	85
1976	Lakes of the lower Turgay & Irgiz	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
2007	Irgiz-Turgay	Regional Zakaznik	15

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Water-fringe vegetation, Standing brackish & salt water, Standing fresh water	60
Desert	Desert & semi-desert - clay, Desert & semi-desert - salty	20
Grassland	Humid, Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe, Steppes & dry calcareous	15
Shrubland		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	35
hunting	30
agriculture	20
not utilised	10
water management	5
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Irgiz-Turgay Lakes (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/irgiz-turgay-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 23/11/2024.