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

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

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
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>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	% overlap with IBA
1972	Зоркуль	Заповедник	15
2000	Zorkul	National Nature Reserve	100
2001	Zorkul Lake	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	2

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		27
Desert		25
Wetlands (inland)		25
Grassland		23

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 22/11/2024.