Data Zone
Country/territory: Armenia
IBA criteria met: A1, A3, B2 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 24,422 hectares (244.22 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2013 | not assessed | high | high |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2000 baseline)
The Khosrov Reserve lies in a central part of southern Armenia. The terrain is rather complicated. The entire area is typically alpine, densely traversed by primary and side-gorges, high plateaus and inter-montane depressions, massive towering mountain ranges, volcanic expanses and isolated mountain peaks. Two alpine rivers, the Azat and Verdi, with tributaries and a small lake (0.3 ha) are within the IBA. The area extends over four landscape zones: desert/semi-desert, mountain steppe, woodland, and alpine and subalpine meadows, though much valuable high-altitude habitat (meadow steppe on plateaus and rocky areas) lies outside the reserve.
Key biodiversity
At least 156 species have been recorded and 76 of these have been proved to breed. An outstanding site for raptors, with at least 21 species breeding and three possibly breeding, including Aquila chrysaetos, A. pomarina, Circaetus gallicus, Accipiter brevipes and, uniquely in Armenia, a small relict population of Aegolius funereus. A colony of Apus melba in Azat Gorge numbers some 2,000 birds. Among other breeding birds are Dendrocopos medius, Oenanthe hispanica, Monticola saxatilis, M. solitarius and Bucanetes githagineus.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Khosrov Reserve (Armenia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/khosrov-reserve-iba-armenia on 23/12/2024.