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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	passage (2005)	195–1,011 birds	A4i
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	VU	passage (2005)	732–1,662 birds	A1, A4i
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	passage (2007)	2,560–6,430 birds	A4i
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	passage (2005)	2,400–8,050 birds	A4i
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	VU	passage (2005)	< 50 birds	A1
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula	LC	passage (2005)	1,270–2,820 birds	A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (2007)	13,200–27,600 birds	A4iii

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	3 / 1,010 (birds)	1	very poor
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula	650 / 2,820 (birds)	24	very poor
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula	112 / 1,900 (birds)	6	very poor
Garganey Spatula querquedula	78 / 78 (birds)	100	good
Gadwall Mareca strepera	41 / 2,430 (birds)	2	very poor
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	1,135 / 27,600 (birds)	5	very poor

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	-	very poor (<40%)	very poor
Artificial/Terrestrial	poor (40–69%)	poor (40–69%)	very poor
Wetlands (inland)	-	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Forest	-	poor (40–69%)	poor

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%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Transportation and service corridors	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
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Grassland	55	Humid; Steppes & dry calcareous
Wetlands (inland)	35	Standing fresh water
Artificial/Terrestrial	10	Arable land; Other urban & industrial areas; Ruderal land
Forest	minor (<10)	Wooded steppe

Land use	% of IBA
rangeland/pastureland	40
hunting	30
agriculture	20
fisheries/aquaculture	20
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sorbalyk-Maybalyk Lake System (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sorbalyk-maybalyk-lake-system-iba-kazakhstan on 23/12/2024.