Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2013 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala | EN | passage (2008–2011) | 187–737 birds | A1, A4i |
| Greylag Goose Anser anser | LC | passage (2008–2011) | 36–15,135 birds | A4i |
| Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons | LC | passage (2008–2011) | 22,000–45,300 birds | A4i |
| Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus | VU | passage (2008–2011) | 100–6,876 birds | A1, A4i |
| Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea | LC | passage (2008–2011) | 3–1,508 birds | A4i |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | passage (2008–2012) | 5,000–62,000 birds | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2013. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2015 | very poor | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Mute Swan Cygnus olor | 6 / 6 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus | 16 / 16 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis | 135 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Greylag Goose Anser anser | 1,443 / 9,200 (birds) | 16 | very poor | ||
| Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons | 42,493 / 45,300 (birds) | 94 | good | ||
| Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus | 1,038 / 6,876 (birds) | 16 | very poor | ||
| Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea | 500 / 1,508 (birds) | 34 | very poor | ||
| Mallard Anas platyrhynchos | 2 / 4,000 (birds) | 1 | very poor | ||
| Stock Dove Columba oenas | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Crane Grus grus | 13 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Mew Gull Larus canus | 104 / 104 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Otus scops | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla | 6 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Eurasian Buzzard Buteo buteo | 2 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Merlin Falco columbarius | 2 / 2 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Great Grey Shrike Lanius excubitor | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Black Lark Melanocorypha yeltoniensis | 2,000 / 2,000 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| White-winged Lark Alauda leucoptera | 800 / 800 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Starling Sturnus vulgaris | 3 / 3 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Song Thrush Turdus philomelos | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Northern Wheatear Oenanthe oenanthe | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Chaffinch Fringilla coelebs | 3 / 3 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Yellowhammer Emberiza citrinella | 15 / 15 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | 46,521 / 17,564 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Wetlands (inland) | moderate (70–90%) | good (>90%) | moderate |
| Grassland | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 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 | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% 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 |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | medium |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 30 | Arable land |
| Grassland | 30 | Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe; Steppes & dry calcareous |
| Wetlands (inland) | 27 | Standing brackish & salt water; Water-fringe vegetation; Standing fresh water |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 20 |
| hunting | 20 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Russkiy Zharkol (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/russkiy-zharkol-iba-kazakhstan on 23/12/2024.