Current view: Text account
Site description (2007 baseline):
Site location and context
The IBA consists of a group of small and medium sized lakes created where the waters of the Sarysu river and the course of the Sydariya river's artificial canal, Telikol, end. The wetland system is situated approximately 100 km to the north-east of the regional centre of Kyzyl-Orda and the same distance from the western edge of the Karatau mountain range to the south-east.
The lakes occupy a series of shallow depressions in a bleak slightly undulating sandy-clayey desert plain, with sparse vegetation, mainly Salsola- and Artemisia-dominated associations. There are also scattered stands of Haloxylon (Saxaul) and Tamarix. All of the lakes have extensive reedbeds. Around each lake there are patches of saline land. In spring, when there is rapid melt-water runoff from the surrounding areas, the whole area floods extensively.
The site is important for several species of global conservation concern (Aythya nyroca, Pelecanus crispus, Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Circus macrourus, Aquila clanga, Chlamydotis undulata and Oxyura leucocephala) plus many other waterbirds including Phalacrocorax pygmaeus, Egretta alba, Ardea cinerea, Anser anser and Cygnus olor. In autumn the lakes are an important staging area for large numbers of ducks, the most numerous being Anas strepera, Anas crecca, Anas platyrhynchos, Anas penelope, Anas clypeata and Netta rufina.
Breeding by Marmaronetta angustirostris is considered possible as the species has been recorded several times on passage at Kyzylkol Lake which is situated a little further to the south-east of the IBA.
Non-bird biodiversity: Sus scrofa, Canis areus, Canis lupus, Vulpes vulpes, Felis libyca, Meles meles and Lepus tolai.
The Telikol Lakes are assigned to the regional hunting society. The ecological conditions of the lakes vary according to the water management regime in the Syrdariya river basin. Because of the very harsh environmental conditions, the human population density is low and economic activities are insignificant.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Occasional fires can cause disturbance to birds and, in the long run, may result in habitat deterioration.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Telikol Lakes (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/telikol-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 23/12/2024.
