Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala | EN | passage (2004) | 48 birds | A1 |
| Greylag Goose Anser anser | LC | passage (2004) | 215,000 birds | A4i |
| Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons | LC | passage (2004) | 85,000 birds | A4i |
| Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus | VU | passage (2004) | 13 birds | A1 |
| Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula | LC | passage (2004) | 660 birds | A4i |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | passage (2004) | 309,030 birds | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2015 | very poor | medium | not assessed |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Wetlands (inland) | very poor (<40%) | very poor (<40%) | very poor |
| Grassland | good (>90%) | poor (40–69%) | poor |
| 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 | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | 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 |
| Not assessed | Not assessed | Not assessed | not assessed |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | 80 | Standing fresh water; Water-fringe vegetation |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 10 | Arable land; Highly improved reseeded grasslands |
| Grassland | 10 | Dry grassland on sandy soils; Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe; Steppes & dry calcareous |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| hunting | 100 |
| rangeland/pastureland | 20 |
| agriculture | 10 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Zharkol Lakes (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/zharkol-lakes-iba-kazakhstan on 25/12/2024.