Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Adjacent to Kizil Agach Zapovednik (IBA 048). A very shallow lake (0.5-1.0 m in depth) which is mainly covered by reeds. It occasionally dries out in very hot years, but can flood the surrounding area during autumn rains. The water-level is also affected by irrigation. Land-use includes grazing domestic cattle and buffaloes.
Significantly, many wildfowl wintering in Kizil Agach Reserve come to this IBA to feed and about 10,000-15,000 wildfowl and shorebirds winter. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Branta ruficollis (very rare winter visitor),
Marmaronetta angustirostris (summer visitor, probably breeds),
Aythya nyroca (breeds),
Oxyura leucocephala (very rare on passage),
Haliaeetus albicilla (5-8 birds, sometimes only 1-2, wintering). The site holds breeding herons,
Plegadis falcinellus,
Platalea leucorodia (status uncertain, possibly breeds),
Porphyrio porphyrio, etc.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats are intensive poaching and contamination of the lake by pesticide run-off from cotton fields. The IBA is immediately adjacent to a Zapovednik (Kizil Agach, 88,360 ha), but there is no overlap and so the lake is not protected. One of the least-known wetlands in Azerbaijan despite its proximity to Kizil Agach Zapovednik (which has scientific staff).
National None
International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Ych-chala (Novogolovka-chala) (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-ych-chala-(novogolovka-chala)-iba-azerbaijan on 24/11/2024.
