Data Zone
Country/territory: Turkmenistan
IBA criteria met: A1, A3, A4i, A4iii (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 7,601 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2018 | very unfavourable | not assessed | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2007 baseline)
The IBA covers the Saryyazy water reservoir in the Murgab river valley located 145 km to the south of Mary city, in Mary region. The reservoir became operative in 1959, and in 1978 it was considerably expanded and deepened. The IBA includes not only the water surface but also the shore zone with hygrophilous vegetation – reed and tamarix. The IBA is 19 km from south to north with a width of 5 km. The reservoir has a sandy shore, steep on the right (east) and sloping on the left (west). The southern part is shallow, the northern, at the dam, deep. Water levels depend on the flooding mode of the Murgab river. Usually water builds up in the winter and spring, and decreases during summer-autumn.
Key biodiversity
The avifauna of the Murgab valley, in particular around the Saryyazy reservoir, includes more than 200 species, including Pelecaniformes - 3, Anatinae - 11, birds of prey - 14, cranes - 1, Charadrii - 20, Laridae - 10, pigeons - 5, martins - 1, passerines - 95 species (Eminov, Kekilova, 1976).
Non-bird biodiversity: The fauna of the IBA includes 22 species of fish (Aliev et al, 1994), 2 species of amphibian (green toad and lake frog), 28 species of reptiles (Shammakov, 1981) and more than 50 species of mammal. Typical reptiles of the sandy shore are Agrionemys horsfieldi, Trapelus sanguinolentus, Phrynocephalus interscapularis, Eremias grammica, Psammophis lineolatus, Eryx miliaris, Colubridae and cobra (Naja oxiana). Mammals include Vulpes cana, Vulpes corsac, Meriones libycus, M. meridianus, Rhombomys opimus, Spermophilopsis leptodactylus, Hemiechinus auritus, Lepus tolai, jerboas, porcupine and wild boar. The flora is that of sandy-desert and tugai with saxaul, tamarix, Calligonum, Ephedra, Salsola richteri and other bushes.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saryyazy (Turkmenistan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/saryyazy-iba-turkmenistan on 23/11/2024.