Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2005 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sociable Lapwing Vanellus gregarius | CR | passage (2007) | 2 birds | A1 |
| Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis | EN | breeding (2005) | 3–5 pairs | A3 |
| Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca | VU | breeding (2005) | 6–9 pairs | A1, A3 |
| Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus | NT | breeding (2005) | 95–140 pairs | A1, A3 |
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | LC | breeding (2005) | 150–200 pairs | A1 |
| Saker Falcon Falco cherrug | EN | breeding (2005) | 15–19 pairs | A1 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2005. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2012 | moderate | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Steppe Eagle Aquila nipalensis | 3 / 7 (pairs) | 43 | poor | ||
| Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus | 1 / 17 (birds) | 6 | very poor | ||
| Milvus migrans | 3 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Long-legged Buzzard Buteo rufinus | 5 / 3 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | 16 / 18 (pairs) | 89 | moderate | ||
| Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus | 5 / 20 (birds) | 25 | very poor | ||
| Eurasian Hobby Falco subbuteo | 1 / 1 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Saker Falcon Falco cherrug | 1 / 19 (pairs) | 6 | very poor | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Shrubland | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Grassland | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Forest | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Wetlands (inland) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Some of area covered (10–49%) | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Ulutauskiy | Zakaznik (IV) | 10 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 78 | Humid; Steppes & dry calcareous |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 15 | Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas |
| Shrubland | 3 | Low bushes |
| Forest | 2 | Flood-plain |
| Wetlands (inland) | 2 | Rivers & streams; Standing fresh water |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | - | Arable land; Highly improved reseeded grasslands |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| rangeland/pastureland | 15 |
| hunting | 10 |
| nature conservation and research | minor (<10) |
| energy production and mining | minor (<10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ulytau Mountains (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ulytau-mountains-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.