Data Zone
Country/territory: Turkmenistan
IBA criteria met: A1, A3 (2006)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 37,305 hectares (373.05 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2006 | not assessed | high | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2006 baseline)
The Kurtusuv - Khovudan IBA is situated 10 km to the south of Ashgabat, and combines a strict protection area (19,059 hectares) with the buffer zone of the Kopetdag state reserve (23,000 hectares). The area of the IBA constitutes 15.1% of the total area of the Central Kopetdag (279,100 hectares). The site covers a group of canyons of various length (from 7 to 15 km), mainly with a northeast orientation.
Key biodiversity
The avifauna includes 177 species (13 orders, 31 families). Nesting birds – 97 species, non-migratory – 49 species, passage-nesting – 48 species, migratory – 17 species, wintering birds – 7 species and passage – 6 species. Passeriformes (16 families, 49 genus, 81 species) and Falconiformes (2 families, 12 genus and 22 species) are most representative in terms of the number of species.
The different habitats (semidesert, tugai, stony-rocky, etc.) of the IBA support numerous communities of birds which reflect the original avifauna of the Central Kopetdag (Mishenko, 1986).
The site supports several nesting species listed in the Red List of IUCN (2004): Aegypius monachus, Falco naumanni plus species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999): Circaetus gallicus, Aquila chrysaetos, Falco peregrinus, Gypaetus barbatus and Bubo bubo. Several of these species conform to the criterion А1.
Criterion А3 applies for biome-restricted species (Biome CA 06): Ammoperdix griseogularis, Oenanthe finschii, Oenanthe picata, Emberiza buchanani and Sitta tephronota; (Biome CA 04b): Columba eversmanni, Ammomanes deserti, Hippolais rama, Scotocerca inquieta, Rhodospiza obsoleta, Emberiza bruniceps and Sylvia nana. Biome CA05 - Tichodroma muraria and Mycerobas carnipes also occur.
Aquila nipalensis, Aquila heliaca, Pterocles orientalis, Oenanthe deserti and Lanius excubitor occur on passage.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals are represented by more than 29 species (Zykov, Korshunov, 1986; Mammals of Turkmenistan, 1995). Hyaena hyaena, Panthera pardus, Ovis vignei and Capra aegagrus are listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999). Amphibians: Bufo viridis turanensis; reptiles - 26 species. The flora of the IBA is represented by 886 species (412 genus and 74 families).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kurtusuv - Khovudan (Turkmenistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kurtusuv--khovudan-iba-turkmenistan on 23/12/2024.