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Gorge Tash-Rabat
Location Kyrgyzstan, Naryn
Central coordinates 75o 15.20' East  40o 56.40' North
IBA criteria A1, A3
Area 2,250 ha
Altitude
Year of IBA assessment 2010

Public Association NABS (Affiliate)



Ornithological information Mountain ecosystem of the Central Tian-Shan is very peculiar: biotic component is formed from elements of Himalaya, Siberia and the local fauna. So here is possible to use “biome-restricted” criterion.First of all IBA is very important to conserve raptors, whose numbers are still holding at the high level.

Site description IBA is in administrative Atbash region of Nari oblast (region), 40 km south of village At-Bash. This gorge is western part of Atbash mountain range. In former times it was part of the famous Silk Road to China. High in the mountains is situated an old shelter for strangers, historic monument Tash-Rabat. Modern highway to China is laid to the west, skirting Atbash mountain range. IBA is a gorge 15-18 km length, stretched from north-west to south-east. In the 3-4 km of the entrance gorge are greatly narrowed and rocky outlets formatting steep, sometimes sheer rocks. Spruce forest on the slopes isn’t dense, higher is goes into creeping juniper. At the top gorge widens, forming small, closed by winds, almost forestless hollows in width about one km.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Himalayan Snowcock Tetraogallus himalayensis resident  2004  3-15 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug breeding  2004  1-5 breeding pairs  medium  A1  Endangered 
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus resident  2004  2-5 breeding pairs  medium  A1  Endangered 
Himalayan Vulture Gyps himalayensis resident  2004  5-10 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus resident  2004  3-5 breeding pairs  medium  A1  Near Threatened 
Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus resident  2004  5-15 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Hume's Lark Calandrella acutirostris breeding  2004  unknown [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sulphur-bellied Warbler Phylloscopus griseolus breeding  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-winged Redstart Phoenicurus erythrogastrus resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis resident  2004  50-500 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-streaked Accentor Prunella himalayana resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Brown Accentor Prunella fulvescens resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Water Pipit Anthus spinoletta breeding  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Fire-fronted Serin Serinus pusillus breeding  2004  20-100 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Black-headed Mountain-finch Leucosticte brandti resident  2004  50-200 breeding pairs  medium  A3  Least Concern 
Red-mantled Rosefinch Carpodacus rhodochlamys breeding  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Great Rosefinch Carpodacus rubicilla resident  2004  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Native coniferous; Treeline ecotone  18%
Shrubland Scrub  10%
Grassland Alpine, subalpine & boreal; Mesophile grassland & tall grass steppe  50%
Coastline Rock stacks & islands  5%
Rocky areas Inland cliffs; Scree, boulders & bare rocky areas  26%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Highly improved reseeded grasslands  1%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
forestry 25%
hunting 30%
tourism/recreation 100%

Other biodiversity IBA is also home to Snow Leopard, Lynx, Bear, Wolf, Argali, Roe and a high number Altai Marmot.

Management considerations The most tangible threat is poaching and trapping of raptors and destruction of nests, also logging (B) and selective logging (B)

Acknowledgements Data-sheet compiled on 15-Mar-2006 by V. I. Toropova, received by BirdLife Cambridge May 2008, translated by Tsovinar Hovhannisyan in summer 2010, entered into WBDB by Rory McCann in autumn 2010.

References Kovshar A. F., Lange M., Toropova V. I., Ornithological observations in Inner, Central, Southern of Tian-Shan and border ranges of Alai mountain system within Kyrgyzstan. J. Seleviniya, Alma-Ata, 2004, p. 97-107 Kidiraliev A. K. Birds of high mountains of Central Tian-Shan. Izvestiya Kirghiz SSR 1961, vol. 3, p. 5-17 Kidiraliev A. K., Himalayan and Bearded vultures in Tian-Shan. Rare and little-studied birds of Central Asia. Tashkent, 1990. p.69-72 Birds of Kyrgyzstan. Group of co-authors, vol. 1, 229p., vol. 2, 273 p., Frunze, 1959-1960

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Gorge Tash-Rabat. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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