Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA covers the middle section of the Sarysu river valley, approximately 60 km to the south of the district centre of Zhezkazgan.
Surrounded by clayey and chalky expanses of semi-desert plains, the Sarysu river valley is deeply cut into the huge plateau that it flows through from north-east to south-west. Within the IBA the river bed is an ancient flood valley, on average 1-1.5 km in width. Both banks of the river have an intricate gulley network and, apart from intermittent, poor quality woody and scrubby patches, is covered by dense reedbeds. The semi-desert plateau on the left bank has expansives salt-marshes and alkaline plots. Sparse Haloxylon stands constitute the only salient feature in the plateau’s landscape.
The riverbank escarpments and nearest cliffs and gulleys of the plateau are important for nesting Bubo bubo, Aquila nipalensis, Falco tinnunculus and Falco naumanni. The flood plain itself is important for Circus macrourus and Phasianus colchicus. The plateau on the left bank, with its scanty stands of saxaul forest, is important for breeding Aquila heliaca and Buteo rufinus. Tetrax tetrax also occurs in this area.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There are two main man-made factors influencing raptor breeding sucess: the logging of saxaul groves and the abrupt halt in extensive grazing. The latter results in the growth of tall weed growth which, in due course, leads to a decline in local rodent populations and a decrease in food for birds of prey.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Middle reaches of the Sarysu River (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/middle-reaches-of-the-sarysu-river-iba-kazakhstan on 23/11/2024.
