Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information Globally Threatened species using the site are Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus (VU), Swan Goose Anser cygnoides (EN), Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata (EN), Pallas’s Fish-eagle Haliaeetus leucoryphus (VU) and Relict Gull Larus relictus (VU). The site supports an assemblage of species restricted to the Eurasian steppe and desert biome. The site regularly supports at least 1% of the flyway populations of Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo and Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna. Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus, White Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia, Greylag Goose Anser anser, Ruddy Shelduck Tadorna ferruginea, Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina and Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo possibly also reach the 1% threshold. Tens of thousands of Pallas’s Sandgrouse Syrrhaptes paradoxus occur in autumn.

Site description Boon Tsagaan Lake is located in Baatsagaan soum. It receives water from the Baidrag River. The lake lies between Ikh Bogd Mountain in the south and the semi-desert steppe of the Gobi Lakes valley in the north. The lake is frozen from December until late April. There is a large area of saxaul forest along the southern shore of the lake, whereas bushy steppe is common in the north. In the southeast, there is a small lake surrounded by dense reeds and tall grasses. This location is called Myangan Shuvuunii Aral (Thousand Bird Island) by locals, because of the high number of birds breeding there. Nomadic animal grazing is the main land use. The site is considered to be suitable for the development of recreation and ecotourism. Pressures include grazing and trampling of lakeside reed beds, and poorly managed tourism. The water level of the lake has fallen as a result of drought. Boon Tsagaan Lake is located within the Valley of Lakes Ramsar Site.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Valley of Lakes	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	45,600	protected area overlaps with site	29,600

Habitats

Other biodiversity Several rare mammal species occur at the site, including Mongolian Gazelle Procapra gutturosa and Goitered Gazelle Gazella subgutturosa (VU). Also Saiga Saiga tatarica (CR) is occasionally recorded. Two nationally threatened species of fi sh, Lake Osman Oreoleuciscus angusticephalus and Small Osman O. humilis inhabit in the lake.

Protection status Unprotected

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Boon Tsagaan Lake. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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