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

Site description (2005 baseline)
A low sandy island near the Absheron peninsula. There are shallows with patches of reeds. The island and the adjacent mainland shore are rented by the Hunters' Society of Azerbaijan.

Key biodiversity
Breeding birds include herons, gulls and terns. A staging site of great significance for passage waterbirds, with Phalacrocorax carbo, herons, wildfowl (Cygnus cygnus and ducks, some also wintering), Fulica atra (10,000+) and, especially, a wide range of shorebirds, some 20,000-30,000 annually. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Pelecanus crispus (rare passage visitor), Numenius tenuirostris (Yashma Island is the only site in the country where this species occurs at present; 1 shot in 1988 and, according to hunters, an annual passage-visitor, but extremely rare, with flocks of 2-4 birds).

Non-bird biodiversity: Site has big importance for such species of fish as Huso huso, Acipenser guldenstadti, A. stellatus, Salmo caspius, Aspius aspius, Cyprinus carpio etc.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Yashma Island (Azerbaijan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/yashma-island-iba-azerbaijan on 23/12/2024.