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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2006 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	passage (2006)	33 individuals	A1
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula	LC	passage (2006)	1,800 individuals	A4i

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2006. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the key species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix	120 / 64 (males)	100	favourable
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	7 / 5 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	7 / 5 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	45 / 40 (males)	100	favourable
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Sanderling Calidris alba	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Little Stint Calidris minuta	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Marsh Sandpiper Tringa stagnatilis	15 / 1 (individuals)	100	favourable
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga	3 / 3 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus	8 / 8 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Northern Goshawk Accipiter gentilis	7 / 6 (individuals)	100	favourable
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	30 / 1 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus	12 / 10 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Merlin Falco columbarius	7 / 1 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	10 / 1 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable

State (condition of the key species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable
Shrubland	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable
Grassland	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable
Forest	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	low
Transportation and service corridors	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area of site (>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	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	high

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Wetlands (inland)	80	Standing fresh water; Water-fringe vegetation
Grassland	20	Humid; Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe; Steppes & dry calcareous
Forest	minor (<10)	Broadleaved deciduous; Mixed; Native coniferous
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Low bushes

Land use	% of IBA
rangeland/pastureland	15
agriculture	minor (<10)

Mixed - partly state, partly private (farmers).

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shcherbakty Lakes (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shcherbakty-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 25/01/2025.