• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	passage	2005	3,000-5,000 individuals	A4i
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	breeding	2005	500-1,000 individuals	A4i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	breeding	2005	400-600 individuals	A4i
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	passage	2005	3,000-4,000 individuals	A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	passage	2005	10,000-30,000 individuals	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	2005	40-100 individuals	A1
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula	LC	passage	2005	8,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	passage	2005	8,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena	LC	passage	2005	300-600 individuals	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	passage	2005	300-1,000 individuals	A4i
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	passage	2005	300-1,000 individuals	A4i
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	LC	breeding	2005	500-1,500 individuals	A4i
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	breeding	2005	200-300 individuals	A4i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	2005	50-100 individuals	A1
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	2005	150-300 individuals	A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	passage	2005	1,500-3,000 individuals	A4i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	2005	400-600 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2005	400-1,000 individuals	A4i
Little Ringed Plover Charadrius dubius	LC	breeding	2005	400-1,000 individuals	A4i
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	2005	1,000-2,000 individuals	A4i
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	passage	2005	10,000-20,000 individuals	A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	breeding	2005	100-200 individuals	A1
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	passage	2005	1,500-2,000 individuals	A4i
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2005	1,000-1,500 individuals	A4i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	2005	300-500 individuals	A4i
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	2005	100-200 individuals	A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	resident	2005	6-10 individuals	A1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2005	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2005) may differ.

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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Mute Swan Cygnus olor	2	12	individuals	100	favourable
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	20	2	individuals	10	very unfavourable
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	2	6	individuals	100	favourable
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	375	42	individuals	12	very unfavourable
Garganey Spatula querquedula	12	6	individuals	50	unfavourable
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	8	2	individuals	25	very unfavourable
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos	11	35	individuals	100	favourable
Red-necked Grebe Podiceps grisegena	600	4	individuals	1	very unfavourable
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	10	2	individuals	20	very unfavourable
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	200	60	individuals	30	very unfavourable
Pallas's Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus	1	4	individuals	100	favourable
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis	1	6	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	782	623	individuals	80	near favourable
Grey Heron Ardea cinerea	9	1	individuals	12	very unfavourable
Great White Egret Ardea alba	34	8	individuals	24	very unfavourable
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	70	320	individuals	100	favourable
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	17	1	individuals	6	very unfavourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	2	23	individuals	100	favourable
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	600	11	individuals	2	very unfavourable
Mew Gull Larus canus	13	8	individuals	62	unfavourable
Caspian Gull Larus cachinnans	98	24	individuals	25	very unfavourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	38	18	individuals	48	unfavourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	85	15	individuals	18	very unfavourable
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	19	4	individuals	22	very unfavourable
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Blue-cheeked Bee-eater Merops persicus	29	21	individuals	73	near favourable
Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor	1	2	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Magpie Pica pica	1	3	individuals	100	favourable
Carrion Crow Corvus corone	72	32	individuals	45	unfavourable
Alaudala rufescens	93	16	individuals	18	very unfavourable
Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis	1	30	individuals	100	favourable
Bearded Reedling Panurus biarmicus	1	1	individuals	100	favourable
Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe	2	23	individuals	100	favourable
White Wagtail Motacilla alba	27	6	individuals	23	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>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

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
2012	Lesser Aral Sea and Delta of the Syrdarya River	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	-

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Water-fringe vegetation, Standing brackish & salt water	100
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 22/11/2024.