Current view: Text account
Site description (1994 baseline):
Site location and context
An extensive region of high mountain ridges and steep-sided valleys with spectacular limestone crags and pinnacles at the extreme north-west end of the Zagros chain, north of the small town of Nowsud and c.30 km south-south-east of Marivan. No site boundaries are yet determined. The region contains a broad spectrum of Zagros habitats: luxuriant riverine forest of
Quercus,
Juglans and
Populus in the valley bottoms; mature
Quercus forest, scrubby
Quercus woodland and terraced wheat cultivation on the lower slopes; rocky hillsides with tragacanthic steppe and scattered
Pistacia trees on the higher slopes; and rocky outcrops and alpine tundra at the summits, peaking at 2,984 m. Snow patches linger on the highest ridge until at least mid-July.
See box for key species. The region has a characteristic Zagros avifauna, including most species typical of the Zagros
Quercus forest as well as most of the high montane species. Other notable breeding species include
Dendrocopos medius,
Lanius nubicus,
Pyrrhocorax graculus,
Montifringilla nivalis and
Emberiza buchanani.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
No threats are known and no conservation measures are known to have been proposed.
Data-sheet compiled by Dr D. A. Scott, reviewed by Dept of Environment.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Western Zagros north of Nowsud (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/western-zagros-north-of-nowsud-iba-iran-islamic-republic-of on 23/12/2024.
