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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis	LC	resident (2000–2006)	100–150 pairs	A3
Tibetan Snowcock Tetraogallus tibetanus	LC	resident (2000–2006)	25–50 pairs	A3
Bar-headed Goose Anser indicus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	60–125 pairs	A3
Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea	LC	passage (2000–2006)	200–3,500 birds	A4i
Charadrius mongolus	NR	breeding (2000–2006)	40–60 pairs	A3
Brown-headed Gull Larus brunnicephalus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	20–30 pairs	A3
Himalayan Griffon Gyps himalayensis	NT	resident (2000–2006)	8–10 pairs	A3
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	passage (2000–2006)	4 birds	A1
Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus	LC	resident (2000–2006)	15–18 pairs	A3
Hume's Lark Calandrella acutirostris	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	200–250 pairs	A3
White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	3–4 pairs	A3
Altai Accentor Prunella himalayana	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	2–3 pairs	A3
Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	10–12 pairs	A3
White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis	LC	resident (2000–2006)	20–30 pairs	A3
Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	25–30 pairs	A3
Red-fronted Rosefinch Carpodacus puniceus	LC	breeding (2000–2006)	30–40 pairs	A3
Brandt's Mountain-finch Leucosticte brandti	LC	resident (2000–2006)	750–1,000 pairs	A3

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

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	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
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A compre­hensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	The conservation measures needed for the site are being compre­hensively and effectively implemented	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1972	Зоркуль	Заповедник (Ia)	15
2000	Zorkul	National Nature Reserve (Ia)	100

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	27
Desert	25
Wetlands (inland)	25
Grassland	23

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Zorkul Nature Reserve (Lake Victoria) (Tajikistan). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/zorkul-nature-reserve-(lake-victoria)-iba-tajikistan on 22/12/2024.