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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 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
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis	EN	breeding (2007)	2–4 pairs	A3
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	breeding (2007)	3–6 pairs	A1, A3
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus	LC	breeding (2007)	180–210 pairs	A4ii
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus	NT	breeding (2007)	2,200–2,600 pairs	A1, A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding (2007)	280–300 pairs	A1
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	breeding (2007)	20–25 pairs	A1

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	1 / 1 (birds)	100	good
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	1 / 1 (birds)	100	good
Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus	1 / 50 (pairs)	2	very poor
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus	4 / 4 (birds)	100	good
Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis	2 / 17 (birds)	12	very poor
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos	1 / 1 (birds)	100	good
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	1 / 1 (birds)	100	good
Buteo rufinus	2 / 4 (birds)	50	poor
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	1 / 25 (pairs)	4	very poor

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good
Desert	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good
Grassland	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good
Wetlands (inland)	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Pollution	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Natural system modifications	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
Unknown	Unknown	Unknown	very low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1971	Ulutauskiy	Zakaznik (IV)	4

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Grassland	50	Steppes & dry calcareous
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	30	Inland cliffs
Shrubland	17	Low bushes
Desert	3	Desert & semi-desert - clay; Desert & semi-desert - salty
Forest	minor (<10)	Broadleaved deciduous; Flood-plain
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Rivers & streams; Standing brackish & salt water; Temporary water bodies

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	100
rangeland/pastureland	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ortau upland massif (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ortau-upland-massif-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.