Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
A portion of the east-central Alborz Mountains c.35 km north of Semnan, spanning the divide from semi-arid steppe at c.1,800 m on the southern slopes to the upper levels of the humid Caspian forest in the north, peaking at 3,888 m. A deep, rain-shadow valley runs east-west through the centre of the reserve, with spectacular cliffs and scree slopes and some of the finest
Juniperus forest in the Alborz. Other habitats include humid and dry high alpine zones, and rolling semi-arid
Artemisia steppe in the south. Land ownership is public.
See box for key species. The reserve contains a very good variety of alpine and
Juniperus forest species, as well as Caspian forest and montane steppic species. It is one of the few known localities for
Mycerobas carnipes in Iran. Other notable species include
Melanocorypha bimaculata,
Phoenicurus erythronotus,
S. hortensis,
Phylloscopus trochiloides nitidus,
Serinus pusillus,
Rhodopechys mongolica and
Emberiza buchanani. At least 101 species have been recorded in the reserve.
Non-bird biodiversity: Mammals: Canis lupus (V), Ursus arctos (rare), Panthera pardus (rare), Capra hircus aegagrus (rare) and Ovis ammon (rare).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Parts of the area were first protected as the Parvar Reserve, established in 1962. A Protected Region of 37,937 ha was established in 1965, re-classified as a Protected Area and enlarged to 59,840 ha in the early 1970s. No threats are known.
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Parvar Protected Area (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/parvar-protected-area-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/12/2024.
