Data Zone
Country/territory: Kazakhstan
Subnational region(s): Mangistau region
Justification: A1 (2006)
Area: 215,420 hectares (2,154.20 km2)
| Conservation status of the site | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2014 | very unfavourable | high | low |
Site description (2006 baseline)
The IBA is situated on the limestone-gypsum Mangyshlak peninsula 30 km to the east of Aktau city (in Karakiyansky district) and includes most of the Karagye depression – the deepest depression near the Caspian Sea – and the 'chinks' (high cliffs) of the western edge of the Mangyshlak plateau to the north. The plain areas of the site consist of clay and clay-stony northern desert with fragments of southern desert, and scattered saltmarshes. The main vegetation are anabasis-salsa associations with Artemisia spp., ephemerals, Salsola spp. and strips of bushes – Tamarix, Haloxylon (Saxaul) and Eurotia.
Key biodiversity
The IBA supports a typical set of desert species, with a high density of birds of prey. Other rare species include houbara bustard and black-bellied sandgrouse, both of which are included in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan.
Non-bird biodiversity: Manul cat (Felis manul), desert lynx (Lynx caracal), goitered gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa) and arkal (Ovis orientalis arkal) are included in the Red Data Book of Kazakhstan, the last two are also globally threatened species.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Karagie Depression (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/karagie-depression-iba-kazakhstan on 03/01/2025.