Data Zone
Country/territory: Mongolia
IBA criteria met: A1, A3, A4i (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 51,600 hectares (516.00 km2)
Site description (2007 baseline)
Telmen Lake, located on the boundary between Numrug and Telmen soums, is a mineral lake
of tectonic origin. The northern and southern shores are mountainous and have numerous
peninsulas, while the eastern and western shores are relatively flat with salt marshes, sand dunes and three small islands where water birds gather in vast numbers. Nomadic animal husbandry is the primary land use in the area.
Key biodiversity
Swan Goose Anser cygnoides (EN) breeds at the site, Saker Falcon Falco cherrug (EN) and Lesser Kestrel F. naumanni (VU) also occur there, while Siberian Crane Grus leucogeranus (CR) has been recorded on migration. The site supports an assemblage of species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and desert biome. The site regularly supports at least 1% of the flyway population of Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea.
Non-bird biodiversity: No information is available about other fauna and flora.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Telmen Lake (Mongolia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/telmen-lake-iba-mongolia on 23/12/2024.