UZ003
Zholdyrbas Lake This is an IBA in Danger! 


IBA Justification

The site was identified as important in 2006 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 List1 Season Year(s) Size IBA criteria
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala EN passage 2000-2005 10-100 adults A1, A4i
Greylag Goose Anser anser LC passage 2000-2005 500-10,000 adults A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca NT breeding 2000-2006 26-64 adults A1
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus LC breeding 2005-2008 88-999 adults A4i
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus LC breeding 2005 80-300 adults A4i
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus LC breeding 2005-2006 94-3,000 adults A4i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo LC breeding 2005-2006 200-2,000 adults A4i
Little Tern Sternula albifrons LC breeding 2008 324 adults A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds n/a passage 2000-2005 50,000 individuals A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2006) may differ.


IBA Conservation

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2006. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2017 very unfavourable very high negligible
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes population good

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species Reference Actual Units % remaining Result
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus 260 414 individuals 100 favourable
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus 300 65 individuals 22 very unfavourable
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus 3,000 86 individuals 3 very unfavourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds 50,000 6,360 individuals 13 very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat Quantity (% remaining) Quality (% carrying capacity) Result
Shrubland moderate (70-90%) poor (40-69%) very unfavourable
Wetlands (inland) moderate (70-90%) poor (40-69%) very unfavourable
Desert good (> 90%) moderate (70-90%) near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Climate change and severe weather likely in short term (within 4 years) majority/most of area/population (50-90%) very rapid to severe deterioration high
Natural system modifications likely in short term (within 4 years) some of area/population (10-49%) very rapid to severe deterioration high
Biological resource use happening now some of area/population (10-49%) moderate to rapid deterioration high
Agricultural expansion and intensification happening now some of area/population (10-49%) moderate to rapid deterioration high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas Management plan Other action Result
Not assessed No management planning has taken place Some limited conservation initiatives are in place negligible

Habitats

Habitat1 Habitat detail % of IBA
Wetlands (inland) 70
Shrubland 20
Desert 10
1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use

Land use % of IBA
hunting 100
fisheries/aquaculture 70


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Zholdyrbas Lake (Uzbekistan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/zholdyrbas-lake-iba-uzbekistan on 23/11/2024.