Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information The avifauna is comprised of 196 species of 15 orders and 32 families. Of these, 132 species are nesting, 31 are resident. The main groups are Falconiformes and Passeriformes. The globally endangered Aegypius monachus and Falco cherrug nest in the IBA. Eight breeding species (Ciconia nigra, Circaetus gallicus, Hieraaetus pennatus, Aquila chrysaetos, Gypaetus barbatus, Aegypius monachus, Gyps fulvus and Falco cherrug) are included in the national Red Data Book. The IBA is unique in Uzbekistan for its concentration of nesting large birds of prey. More than two pairs of Gypaetus barbatus, 20 pairs of Gyps fulvus, 8 pairs of Aquila chrysaetos (Chernogaev et al.,1996) breed. The site is a zone of biome Irano-Turanin Mountains (4 species).

Site description The IBA is situated on the Nuratau ridge 70 km NW of the town of Jizzak on the border of three districts. The landscape of foothills are of the semi-desert type and represented by sloping submontane plains, hills and ridges with wormwood and ephemeral vegetation growing on typical and dark sierozems (gypsum-derived soils). The landscape of low mountains occupies the low-mountain part of the ridge and belongs to the dry steppe type of landscape. In the foothills and low mountains there are settlements and bogharic lands (loess and loess-like loams). The mid-mountain areas lie in the upper alpine layer of the Nuratau and represent the meadow-steppe type of landscape. The rocky areas are represented by outcrops of limestone, granite and slate almost devoid of vegetation. The rock massifs are typical low- and mid-mountains. In the valleys of the mountain rivers, there are river flood-lands with tree-shrub vegetation. The Nuratau Ridge has a dense hydrographic network comprised of rivulets. The largest streams of the main northern slope of Nuratau are Sentyabsai, Madjerumsai and Ukhumsai. The basis of the economic activity of local residents is agriculture, mainly cattle husbandry. Individual plots for horticulture are developing in and around the settlements.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Koshrabad	Wildlife Refuge	16,500	protected area overlaps with site	7,907
Nuratinskiy	State Nature Reserve	35,504	protected area contained by site	17,500

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity The IBA is comprised of typical little-transformed landscapes and ecosystems of the Nuratau ridge. More than 800 species of higher plants grow there, including 29 species included in the Red Data Book of Uzbekistan, as well as 22 endemic species and two subspecies of plants, including Anura pallidivirens, a representative of the endemic monotype genus Anura Tschern, as well as Paraeremostachys anisochila, an endemic confined to only one locality, which is within the Nuratau nature reserve. The vertebrate fauna includes 1 fish species, 2 amphibian species, 15 reptile species and 34 mammalian species. One reptile species is included in the National Red Book. Four species of mammal are included of which 1 species, Tien Shan Argali (Ovis ammon severtzovii), is also included on the IUCN Red List. Currently, more than 90% of the world population of this rare endemic species inhabits this area. In the reserve, 786 species of invertebrate are recorded, including 761 species of insects. Eleven arthropod species are included in the Red Data Book of Uzbekistan.

Management considerations The lands of the current Nuratau nature reserve are withdrawn from industrial activities. The territory proposed for the expansion of the nature reserve area and the buffer zone is used for cattle grazing and collection of firewood. In this connection, there is disturbance by shepherds. The most important threat is cutting of shrubs in which birds nest. The destruction of nests and eggs has been noted.

Protection status Nature reserve "Nuratinskiy".

Conservation response Since 2002, the GEF/UNDP “Establishment of Nuratau-Kyzylkum biosphere reserve as a model of conservation of biodiversity in Uzbekistan” project has been implemented. Scientific studies including monitoring of Aegypius monachus have been carried out. In 2006, an ornithological survey was conducted as part of the IBA Uzbekistan project. This showed that the site fulfils international IBA criteria.

References The plan of management of Nuratau-Kyzylkum biosphere reserve. Vol. 2, “Ecological and social-economic conditions”, 2006 (In Russian). Daminova D.B. The insect fauna of Nuratau nature reserve. The 2000 annual report. The archive of Nuratau nature reserve. Yangikishlak, 2000 (in Russian).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Nuratau Range. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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