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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
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	passage (1980–2003)	20–200 birds	A1, A4i
Smew Mergellus albellus	LC	winter (1980–2003)	600–12,000 birds	A4i
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	winter (1980–2003)	1,000–20,000 birds	A4i
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	passage (1980–2003)	500–15,000 birds	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding (2004)	10–50 birds	A1
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos	LC	passage (1980–2003)	1,500–50,000 birds	A4i
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	passage (1980–2003)	500–35,000 birds	A4i
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	passage (1980–2003)	3,000–40,000 birds	A4i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding (1980–2003)	80–300 birds	A1, A4i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	non-breeding (1980–2003)	10–300 birds	A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	breeding (1980–2003)	300–5,000 pairs	A4i
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	LC	breeding (1980–2003)	200–8,000 pairs	A4i
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding (1980–2003)	100–2,500 pairs	A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (1980)	20,000 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 (2018) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Yellow-breasted Bunting Emberiza aureola	26 / 1 (birds)	100	good

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good
Wetlands (inland)	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	65	Artificial water bodies
Forest	15	Flood-plain; Wooded steppe
Desert	10	Desert & semi-desert - sandy; Desert & semi-desert - clay
Grassland	major (>10)	Dry grassland on sandy soils
Wetlands (inland)	major (>10)	Water-fringe vegetation
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Low bushes; Scrub

Land use	% of IBA
other	100
agriculture	50
fisheries/aquaculture	50
water management	50

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