Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Arpi reservoir, located in the very north-west of Armenia, evolved in the 1950s from the small Lake Arpi. Fed by thaws and four streams, it is the source of the Akhurian river. The landscape is mountain steppe with mostly grassy alpine vegetation. The site is adjacent to wetlands. In spring the reservoir floods, and water covers an area of 20 km
2and two islands (2 and 4 ha) form. By autumn, when the lake waters are used for irrigation, the shores of the two islands merge.
More than 100 species have been observed around Lake Arpi. Of special concern is the large breeding colony of
Larus armenicus; 7,000-10,000 pairs are known to breed on the two islands, comprising 60% of the population in Armenia. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Pelecanus crispus (breeding every 2-5 years, juveniles visiting annually).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The colony is extremely vulnerable due to annual water-level fluctuations of the reservoir. Birds are sometimes subject to disturbance when fluctuating water-levels allow access to nesting areas.
National None
International High2,000 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Lake Arpi, 2,000 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Arpi (Armenia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-arpi-iba-armenia on 22/12/2024.
