Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2005 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greylag Goose Anser anser | LC | passage (2005) | 3,000–5,000 birds | A4i |
| Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna | LC | breeding (2005) | 500–1,000 birds | A4i |
| Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea | LC | breeding (2005) | 400–600 birds | A4i |
| Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina | LC | passage (2005) | 3,000–4,000 birds | A4i |
| Common Pochard Aythya ferina | VU | passage (2005) | 10,000–30,000 birds | A4i |
| Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca | NT | breeding (2005) | 40–100 birds | A1 |
| Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula | LC | passage (2005) | 8,000–20,000 birds | A4i |
| Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope | LC | passage (2005) | 8,000–20,000 birds | A4i |
| Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena | LC | passage (2005) | 300–600 birds | A4i |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | LC | passage (2005) | 300–1,000 birds | A4i |
| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis | LC | passage (2005) | 300–1,000 birds | A4i |
| Grey Heron Ardea cinerea | LC | breeding (2005) | 500–1,500 birds | A4i |
| Great White Egret Ardea alba | LC | breeding (2005) | 200–300 birds | A4i |
| Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus | NT | breeding (2005) | 50–100 birds | A1 |
| Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus | LC | breeding (2005) | 150–300 birds | A4i |
| Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo | LC | passage (2005) | 1,500–3,000 birds | A4i |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | LC | breeding (2005) | 400–600 birds | A4i |
| Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus | LC | breeding (2005) | 400–1,000 birds | A4i |
| Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius | LC | breeding (2005) | 400–1,000 birds | A4i |
| Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus | LC | breeding (2005) | 1,000–2,000 birds | A4i |
| Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus | LC | passage (2005) | 10,000–20,000 birds | A4i |
| Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni | NT | breeding (2005) | 100–200 birds | A1 |
| Slender-billed Gull Larus genei | LC | passage (2005) | 1,500–2,000 birds | A4i |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (2005) | 1,000–1,500 birds | A4i |
| Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica | LC | breeding (2005) | 300–500 birds | A4i |
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | LC | breeding (2005) | 100–200 birds | A1 |
| Saker Falcon Falco cherrug | EN | resident (2005) | 6–10 birds | A1 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | passage (2005) | 50,000-99,999 birds | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2005. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2017 | moderate | low | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Mute Swan Cygnus olor | 12 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna | 2 / 20 (birds) | 10 | very poor | ||
| Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea | 6 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina | 42 / 375 (birds) | 12 | very poor | ||
| Garganey Spatula querquedula | 6 / 12 (birds) | 50 | poor | ||
| Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata | 2 / 8 (birds) | 25 | very poor | ||
| Mallard Anas platyrhynchos | 35 / 11 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena | 4 / 600 (birds) | 1 | very poor | ||
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | 2 / 10 (birds) | 20 | very poor | ||
| Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus | 60 / 200 (birds) | 30 | very poor | ||
| Pallas's Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus | 4 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis | 6 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Eurasian Coot Fulica atra | 623 / 782 (birds) | 80 | moderate | ||
| Grey Heron Ardea cinerea | 1 / 9 (birds) | 12 | very poor | ||
| Great White Egret Ardea alba | 8 / 34 (birds) | 24 | very poor | ||
| Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo | 320 / 70 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus | 1 / 17 (birds) | 6 | very poor | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa | 23 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus | 11 / 600 (birds) | 2 | very poor | ||
| Mew Gull Larus canus | 8 / 13 (birds) | 62 | poor | ||
| Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans | 24 / 98 (birds) | 25 | very poor | ||
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | 18 / 38 (birds) | 48 | poor | ||
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | 15 / 85 (birds) | 18 | very poor | ||
| Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus | 4 / 19 (birds) | 22 | very poor | ||
| White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus | 21 / 29 (birds) | 73 | moderate | ||
| Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor | 2 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Eurasian Magpie Pica pica | 3 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Carrion Crow Corvus corone | 32 / 72 (birds) | 45 | poor | ||
| Alaudala rufescens | 16 / 93 (birds) | 18 | very poor | ||
| Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis | 30 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe | 23 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| White Wagtail Motacilla alba | 6 / 27 (birds) | 23 | very poor | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Wetlands (inland) | moderate (70–90%) | good (>90%) | moderate |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | 100 | Rivers & streams; Water-fringe vegetation; Standing brackish & salt water |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 40 |
| water management | 5 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lesser Aral Sea (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lesser-aral-sea-iba-kazakhstan on 23/12/2024.