Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
An area on the southern slopes of the main Caucasus range, including the upper valley of the River Patara-Liakhvi, which divides the site in two. The relief is complex, with numerous gorges, etc., and the principal habitat is forest, predominantly of
Fagus (between 1,000 and 1,700 m), also
Betula,
Quercus,
Carpinus and some
Alnus,
Fraxinus and
Corylus.
The avifauna includes at least three of the 10 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Eurasian high-montane biome. At least 71 species have been recorded at this site, including
Aquila chrysaetos (possibly 1-2 breeding pairs) and, among other raptors, 3-4 owl species;
Actitis hypoleucos and up to five species of woodpeckers also breed. Passerines are well represented, with
Phylloscopus nitidus in forests and
Eremophila alpestris and
Anthus spinoletta higher up in meadows.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Only small fragments of alpine and subalpine meadows lie within the site, while grazing on unprotected meadows adjoining it causes disturbance; nests, including of rare species such as
Tetrao mlokosiewiczi and
Tetraogallus caucasicus, are trampled by grazing herds which also make incursions into the reserve area. A buffer zone for better protection is urgently needed. The site was designated as a Zapovednik in 1977 and is situated just outside the Eastern Caucasus Protected Area (IBA 007). The fauna of the site, including birds, has not been well studied.
National High
International None6,388 covered by Nature Reserve (Zapovednik) (Liakhvi Nature Reserve, 6,388 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Liakhvi (Georgia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/liakhvi-iba-georgia on 23/12/2024.
