Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2008 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tawny Owl Strix aluco | LC | resident (1996) | 100 breeding pairs | B3 |
| Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus | LC | resident (1996) | 21–24 breeding pairs | B2 |
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius | LC | resident (1996) | 20 breeding pairs | B3 |
| Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata | LC | breeding (2004–2006) | 30–50 breeding pairs | A1 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2008. The most recent assessment (2006) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2006 | near favourable | high | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the key species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | near favourable |
| Forest | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | favourable |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | favourable |
| Shrubland | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | favourable |
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Unknown | No management planning has taken place | Very little or no conservation action taking place | very low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Psebaiskiy | Zakaznik (IV) | 100 |
| 1924 | Kavkazsky | Zapovednik (Ia) | 5 |
| 1978 | Kavkazskiy | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | 5 |
| 1999 | Western Caucasus | World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) | 21 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 35 | Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Native coniferous woodland |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 30 | |
| Grassland | 20 | Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland |
| Shrubland | 10 | Scrub |
| Wetlands (inland) | 5 | Rivers and streams |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 100 |
| nature conservation and research | 100 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lower Urushten river (Russia (European)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lower-urushten-river-iba-russia-(european) on 25/01/2025.