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Site description (2006 baseline):
Site location and context
The Zhusandala plain and edge of sand dunes is located between the Almaty-Karaganda road and the main part of the Taukum desert. At the territory, a stable, high density of breeding Houbara Bustards is observed as the site provides the optimum conditions for this species. The area is also used regularly as a stop-over site by Houbara migrating from other regions, this confirms the A1 criteria. The territory is a typical area of northern desert with the set of biome restricted species, so corresponds to A3 criteria too.
Ornithofauna includes about 200 species (Berezovikov et al., 1999), including 83 breeding species, and more than 100 migrants. Breeding species represent the typical complex of the northern Eurasian desert with such species as Chlamydotis undulata, Aquila heliaca, Falco naumanni, Burchinus oedicnemus, Charadrius leschenaultia, Charadrius asiaticus, Syrrhaptes paradoxus, Pterocles orientalis, Calandrella rufescens, Calandrella brachydactyla, Hippolais rama, Sylvia nana, Oenanthe deserti, Cercotrichas galactotes, Lanius pallidirostris (excubitor), Corvus ruficollis, Rhodospiza obsoleta and Emberiza bruniceps.
Non-bird biodiversity: The fauna of the area includes 2 species of amphibian, up to 15 species of reptile and 40 species of mammal. Mammals represent the typical desert complex: wolf, fox, desert fox, Rhombomys opimus and Rh. meridionalis, jerboas, a number of species of Muridae, long-eared hedgehog, desert hare etc.; of ungulates, goitred gazelle is common but not numerous. Typical reptiles are steppe agama, steppe tortoise, several species of Phrynocephalus and Eremias, sand-boa, arrow-snake, Agkistrodon halis and Elaphe dione.
Flora is represented by typical salsola-arthemisia, nanophyton-arthemisia, ephemera-gramineous associations, with patches of saxaul and tamarix, and with saxaul, Calligonum, Salsola richteri on sand dunes. In total, the flora consist of about 200 species of flowering plants, 5% of them are endemic to Kazakhstan (Osmanova et al., 1988).
The main habitats are grey-soiled arthemisia-nanophyton plain with a gramineous herbs association, discrete patches of saxaul and tamarix, and marginal sand dunes of the Taukum desert (fixed sands with saxaul, Calligonum etc.). The land is used for pasture at a relatively low intensity, tens times less than during the Soviet period (20 years ago).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The number of domestic animals is increasing gradually and there is a threat of overgrazing in some areas. The next threat is illegal hunting, especially of gazelles, and over-exploitation of the Houbara population during the short period (about 2 weeks) of falconry hunting, which is conducted here annually by permission of the Government of Kazakhstan.
Conservation responses/actions for key biodiversity
In 1995-1996, the Institute of Zoology of the Academy of Science of Kazakhstan, in collaboration with the National Avian Research Centre of UAE, studied the breeding biology of Houbara Bustard and, incidentally, the ornithofauna of the area (Berezovikov et al., 1999). Between 2001-2005, annual surveys of Houbara were conducted.
The IBA is within the limits of the Zhusandala State Nature Reserved Zone of republican importance. The reserved zone was created by the decision of the Government of Kazakhstan in 2002, but until 2005 there were no precisely confirmed borders or ownership. The territory is protected by inspectors (game-keepers) of the “Okhotzooprom” company (a division of the Committee of Forestry and Hunting of the Ministry of Agriculture).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Zhusandala (Kazakhstan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/zhusandala-iba-kazakhstan on 23/11/2024.
