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The site was identified as important in 2006 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
Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus	LC	breeding	2002-2006	25-50 breeding pairs	A3
Goosander Mergus merganser	LC	resident	2002-2006	400-600 individuals	A4i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	passage	2002-2006	900-3,000 individuals	A4i
Tibetan Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes tibetanus	LC	resident	2002-2006	30-50 individuals	A3
Charadrius mongolus	NR	breeding	2002-2006	40-50 breeding pairs	A3
Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus	LC	breeding	2002-2006	25-50 breeding pairs	A3
Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis	NT	resident	2002-2006	2-4 breeding pairs	A3
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	winter	2002-2006	4 individuals	A1
Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus	LC	resident	2002-2006	100-150 breeding pairs	A3
Himalayan Rubythroat Calliope pectoralis	LC	breeding	2002-2006	5-8 breeding pairs	A3
White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus	LC	breeding	2002-2006	10-15 breeding pairs	A3
Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana	LC	breeding	2002-2006	15-20 breeding pairs	A3
Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens	LC	breeding	2002-2006	20-25 breeding pairs	A3
White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis	LC	resident	2002-2006	100-200 breeding pairs	A3
Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla	LC	resident	2002-2006	80-100 breeding pairs	A3
Brandt's Mountain-finch Leucosticte brandti	LC	resident	2002-2006	150-200 breeding pairs	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2006) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2006. The most recent assessment (2006) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	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
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1999	Таджикский Национальный парк	Национальный парк	66
2001	Karakul Lake	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	25
2013	Tajik National Park (Mountains of the Pamirs)	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)		40
Grassland		25
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		20
Desert		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	60
tourism/recreation	20
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Karakul lake and mountains (Tajikistan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/karakul-lake-and-mountains-iba-tajikistan on 22/11/2024.