email a friend
printable version
close| Location | Turkmenistan, Balkan |
| Central coordinates | 55o 28.27' East 41o 13.32' North |
| IBA criteria | A1 |
| Area | 65,820 ha |
| Altitude | 33 - 221m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Ornithological information The avifauna of the IBA includes 240 species, basically from the desert complex. Rare species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999) are: resident - Aquila chrysaetos, Falco cherrug, Bubo bubo; passage - Aquila heliaca, Circus macrourus, Buteo buteo, Circaetus gallicus. Criterion А1 applies for Falco cherrug. The following A1 species also occur but not at qualifying levels - Haliaeetus leucoryphus, Aquila heliaca, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni.
Site description The IBA includes Depmechay, the southern scarp of the Ustyurt plateau and the Kazaklyshor depression on the border with Kazakhstan.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saker Falcon Falco cherrug | resident | 2003-2007 | 10 individuals | medium | A1 | Endangered |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 10% | |
| Rocky areas | 90% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| military | 10% |
| not utilised | 90% |
Other biodiversity Mammals - more than 40 species, half from which are rodents (20 species), the others are predators (8), chiropterans (5), insectivores (4), ungulates (2). Reptiles are represented by 30 species. Flora includes about 450 species of higher plants. The vegetation of the depressions is represented by halophytes and salsolas. Fixed sand is represented by a few species of Calligonum and the rare Salsola richteri.
Management considerations The ecosystems of the IBA are considered to be in a stable condition at present due to the remoteness of the site from populated areas. A potential threat is illegal hunting - trapping of Saker falcons and the taking of nestlings.
Protection status Not protected.
Conservation response Work of zoologists of the Dashoguz antiplague stations studying the number of rodents (1960-1980).
References Atamuradov, H.I. (1999) Red Data Book of Turkmenistan. - Vol.1. – Ashgabat, Turkmenistan. (in Russian).
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Depmechay. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
|
|