Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
An area of forest (in main reserve of 6,739 ha:
Quercus,
Fagus,
Carpinus, etc.), subalpine and alpine meadows, with mountain lakes, rivers and springs, on the deeply incised slopes of Mount Kyapaz (3,065 m) in the north-eastern Murovdag range (Little Caucasus).
Over 50 species breed, including 35 in the forest zone. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Aegypius monachus. Other breeding vulture species are
Gypaetus barbatus,
Neophron percnopterus and
Gyps fulvus. The subalpine and alpine zones support at least four of the 10 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Eurasian high-montane biome, as well as
Alectoris chukar,
Anthus spinoletta,
Serinus pusillus,
Carduelis flavirostris,
Carpodacus erythrinus, among others.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats are the drawing of water from Lake Gey Gel for Gandja (Kirovabad) (`Other' threat), increased access for tourists to the lake environs, and associated development of facilities, also strip farming and cattle-driving. The separate northern section of the reserve exists primarily to protect the rare endemic pine
Pinus eldarica.
National High
International None7,131 ha of IBA covered by Zapovednik (Geygel goryhy, 7,131 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Gey Gel (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-gey-gel-iba-azerbaijan on 23/11/2024.
