Current view: Text account
Site description (2005 baseline):
Site location and context
The site is the tip of the Absheron peninsula near Baku, formerly with sandy beaches, about a third of which was flooded as the level of the Caspian Sea rose during the 1980s. As a result of water level raising the tip of the spit got detached and form a long island named Suiti. The flooded area is now being colonized by reeds. All land-uses are prohibited.
The IBA is notable for passage and wintering Pelecaniformes and Ciconiiformes. At least 20,000 ducks and 40,000
Fulica atra migrate through the area. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Phalacrocorax pygmeus (non-breeding: 2-4 winter in some years),
Circus macrourus (3-4 winter).
Non-bird biodiversity: One of most important place for the Caspian Seal Phoca caspica in Azerbaijan. It is possible to find 100-200 individuals of them in any season of the year.
This territory is mostly covered by State Nature reserve and was proposed to creation of Natural Park. All type of land-use are prohibited now on this territory.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Although the whole site is protected as a Nature Reserve which is owned by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, some poaching is a threat as well as disturbance from fishers.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
1. As a part of monitoring project was studied in 1996-1997 years by Azerbaijan Ornithological Society2. As a part of winter and autumn migration monitoring project of British Petroleum was studied in 2002-20053. As a part of student studies project some studies were conducted in November 2004 - March 2005.
National High
International NoneIBA is covered by Nature Reserve.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shahdidi spit (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shahdidi-spit-iba-azerbaijan on 23/12/2024.
