Data Zone
Country/territory: China (mainland)
IBA criteria met: A1, A2, A3, A4i (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 280,000 hectares (2,800.00 km2)
Site description (2009 baseline)
Located between Aksu and Korla cities, 80 km south of Kuqa, 250 km east of Aksu and 500 km south-west of Urumqi. The IBA is surrounded by high mountains which range from 4,000-8,000 m. The Tarim River is the longest inland river in China, but human activities have already depleted the water resources in its lower course, including at Lop Nur which was once the largest lake in Xinjiang.
Key biodiversity
Non-bird biodiversity: There were records of Panthera tigris before the 1950s, but it is now locally extinct. Other animals include Vulpes vulpes, Camelus bactrianus, Cervus elaphus and Gazella subgutturosa. The area also support the fish Pelochelys bibroni, but it is almost extinct there.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Xayar forest and wetland (China (mainland)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/xayar-forest-and-wetland-iba-china-(mainland) on 23/12/2024.