Mugan steppe (172)
Azerbaijan, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2004
National site name: Muğan çölü
Central coordinates: Latitude: 39.6333, Longitude: 48.5667
System: terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 100
Area of KBA (km2): 1029.07397
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A semi-desert plain, cut across by many irrigation channels, with pastures and, to a lesser extent, cotton fields.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Caucasus Hotspot (2003, updated 2004). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2002 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: Certainly the most important area for wintering Tetrax tetrax in Azerbaijan, probably also in the former USSR; discovered only in 1989. Breeding species include Ciconia ciconia (in some villages), Francolinus francolinus (rare, in scrub along channels), Burhinus oedicnemus, Merops superciliosus (common) and larks (Alaudidae). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Branta ruficollis (formerly very common winter visitor, now very rare and not annual), Otis tarda (very rare winter visitor, not annual). Aquila nipalensis is common on migration, when Grus grus and Anthropoides virgo also occur.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 50 | |
| Desert | 50 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Main threats are poaching and disturbance of Tetrax tetrax by shepherds and other local people.