Data Zone
Country/territory: Iran, Islamic Republic of
IBA criteria met: A1, B2 (1994)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 4,500 ha
Site description (1994 baseline)
Gently rolling, cultivated plains set in a valley between folds of the north-west Zagros Mountains and almost completely surrounded by low stony hills. The site is 5-10 km south-south-east of the village of Kerend and 70 km west-south-west of Kermanshah. The land is cultivated (mostly cereals) or fallow, with Artemisia steppe on the surrounding hills. The area is sparsely populated, with only one small village in the extreme south-east. There is some livestock grazing. Land ownership is public and private.
Key biodiversity
See box for key species. An important breeding area for Otis tarda in the 1970s, with probably at least 10 nesting females; the birds were present May-September, local farmers reporting concentrations of up to 50-60. Buteo rufinus also breeds, and Aquila chrysaetos is an occasional visitor. Winter visitors include Accipiter gentilis (scarce), and passage migrants include Buteo buteo and Grus grus.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Acknowledgements
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Telesm plain (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/telesm-plain-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/11/2024.