Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
The reservoir was created in 1956-1957, thereby flooding tugai forests in the Kura river basin. Reedbeds have grown up along the western and eastern shores and there is also some
Tamarix on islands. The reservoir water is used for various purposes; there are fish-ponds, and hunting takes place in autumn and winter.
The site supports a range of breeding waterbirds: herons,
Plegadis falcinellus,
Porphyrio porphyrio, terns.
Egretta alba and
Phalacrocorax carbo bred in dead trees standing in the reservoir until 1962. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Haliaeetus albicilla (rare winter visitor). Up to 7,000-8,000 waterbirds (ducks and
Fulica atra) winter,
Larus ichthyaetus occurs rarely in the same season;
Larus minutus is a rare, non-breeding summer visitor.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Threats are unknown, but intensive hunting is probably the reason why many waterbirds
move to Mingechaur reservoir.
National None
International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Varvara reservoir (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/varvara-reservoir-iba-azerbaijan on 24/11/2024.
