Kyzylkol Lake (19955)
Kazakhstan, Central Asia
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2017
National site name: Kyzylkol Lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.7467, Longitude: 69.4917
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 700 to 720
Area of KBA (km2): 41.63323
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The lake is situated 5 km to the south west of Kumkent village, in semi-desert landscapes and is the most western of the lake system in the northern foothills of the Karatau mountains. It is a cap-form lake without an outflow. In the south east part, the small river Ushbas flows into the lake. There are also some underground sources (fresh-water or with low salinity). That is why there are some almost fresh-water areas within the otherwise generally high salinity lake. There are relatively high loess precipices along the western coast. In the northern part, there are swampy shallow plots, in the eastern part patches of Tamarix, Rosa, Lonicera etc. Where the scrub and semi-desert join, the area is surrounded by hills with stony semi-desert on the tops.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs. KBA identified in the CEPF Ecosystem Profile of the Mountains of Central Asia Hotspot (2017). Taxonomy, nomenclature and threat category follow the 2016 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: More that 170 bird species have been recorded at the lake during migration. The number of birds resting here is tens and even hundreds of thousands. For example, on 16.09.2004 more than 25,000 birds were recorded, and in October 2001 more than 143,000 were counted. The size of these flocks is affected by disturbance during the hunting season.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 84 | |
| Shrubland | 5 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Grassland | 1 | |
| Desert | 5 |
Additional information
References: 1. Kovalenko, A.V., Gavrilov, E.I., Belyalov, O.V., Karpov, F.F. and Annenkova, S.Y. (2002) Ornithological observations at Kyzylkol Lake (South Kazakhstan) during season migrations. Russian Ornithological Journal, express-issue, 199: 879-887. (In Russian). 2. Gavrilov, A.E. and Kolbintzev, V.G. (2002). Expeditions. 17. Kyzylkol. P. 20 in Kazakhstan Ornithological Bulletin 2002. Almaty. (in Russian).