Data Zone
Country/territory: Azerbaijan
IBA criteria met: B2 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 6,000 hectares (60.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2008 | poor | medium | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2000 baseline)
Remnants of broadleaved forests (Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus, Fagus, etc.) in the lowland river delta of north-eastern Azerbaijan; the site also extends into Dagestan (Russia). Sand beaches along Caspian coast have been largely lost (inundated) since mid-1980s˜a few pebble beaches remain. Main land-uses around, and to some extent within, forest patches are crop-growing and cattle-grazing, while increasing numbers of tourists and others frequent the Caspian coast.
Key biodiversity
Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (1-2 breeding pairs still present on the Dagestan side of this site). Other breeding species include Ciconia nigra, Aquila pomarina, Alcedo atthis (30+ pairs), and Coracias garrulus (50+ pairs). There is a congregation of seabirds off the delta from July to August (some thousands, but never counted) including Pelecanus sp. (some tens).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Samur river delta (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/samur-river-delta-iba-azerbaijan on 01/01/2025.