Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information The avifauna totals 141 species: 10 – non migratory, 27 – passage/nesting, 8 – wintering and 96 – passage. The first group includes Falco cherrug (of greatest importance), Buteo rufinus, Aquila chrysaetos, Alectoris chukar, Columba livia, Bubo bubo, Athene noctua, Corvus ruficollis and Scotocerca inquieta. The second group includes Circaetus gallicus, Neophron percnopterus, Falco tinnunculus, Apus apus and Apus melba. Species listed in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999): Circaetus gallicus, Aquila heliaca, Aquila chrysaetos, Aegypius monachus, Falco peregrinus, Falco naumanni, Falco cherrug and Bubo bubo.

Site description The Tekejik-Biynekyr IBA is located in the north-west of Turkmenistan, within the Tuarkyr-Ustjurts clay-rubble natural region. The southern part of the IBA is 90 km to the north-east of Bereket and, administratively, the site is in Balkan region. The landscape of the IBA is similar to that of the Koymat – Begarslan IBA which is located 25 km to the east. The scarp stretches north for 35 kilometres and continues to the west for 20 km. The IBA consists of a complex system of steep cliffs with dry gullies and closed depressions running parallel to the cliff. At the top of the cliffs is a narrow clay plateau with Artemisia associations (Artemisia kemrudica, A diffusa, etc.) and Anabasis salsa. The cliffs can reach 20-40 m in height and are formed of a combination of stony-chalky strata cut by numerous eolations, jagged edges, ledges, niches, cracks and gullies, the last filling with water during rains. The soil-vegetation cover is varied and soils are of the grey-brown type. In deep saline depressions there is a sparse cover of halophytes, and between saltmarshes on gently sloping hilly sands with ephemerals and small shrubs. The average annual temperature is 12C, the maximum +43C, the minimum –30C. The annual rainfall is about 100 mm.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity Of mammals wolf and porcupine are the most usual. Species included in the Red Data Book of Turkmenistan (1999): Mellivora capensis, Hyaena hyaena (possibly extinct), Felis manul (possibly extinct), Felis caracal and Hystrix indica.

References Dementyev P.G. (1952) Birds of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences TSSR, Volume 1. 546p.(in russian). Rustamov A.K. (1954) Birds of Kara Kum desert, Ashgabat, Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences TSSR, 342 p. (in russian). Rustamov A.K. 1958. Birds of Turkmenistan, Ashgabat, Proceedings of the Turkmen Academy of Sciences TSSR, Volume 2. 333p. (in russian). Shubenkin V. P., Antipov S.M. (1990) Ecology and protection of birds of prey of deserts of Southern Ustyurt and the Sarykamysh hollow. Nature protection of Turkmenistan. Issue 8. Ashgabat. p.115-125. (in russian).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Tekejik - Biynekyr. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

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