• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Site description (2007 baseline)
Tolbo Lake is a freshwater lake located in Tolbo soum, Bayan-Olgii aimag. The west side of the lake has numerous inlets and peninsulas. Reed and tall grassy areas have become degraded by overgrazing. The lake is frozen from October to May. A warmer climate and many years of drought have resulted in a decrease in the water level. Illegal hunting threatens wildlife species in adjacent mountains. Uncontrolled fishing in winter is contributing to water pollution.

Key biodiversity
The site is important for two Globally Threatened species: Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus (VU); and Saker Falcon Falco cherrug (EN). The site supports assemblages of species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and desert and Eurasian high montane biomes. The site also supports at least 1% of the flyway populations of the following congregatory waterbird species: Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo; Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus; Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus; Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea; Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula; and Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus.

Non-bird biodiversity: Grey Wolf Canis lupus, Red Fox Vulpes vulpes and Pallas's Cat Felis manul all occur at the site.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tolbo Lake (Mongolia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tolbo-lake-iba-mongolia on 22/12/2024.