Kaftar lake (8134)
Iran, Islamic Republic of, Middle East
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 1994
National site name: Kaftar lake
Central coordinates: Latitude: 30.5667, Longitude: 52.7833
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2300 to 2300
Area of KBA (km2): 60.73085
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A freshwater lake of at least 500 ha lying at c.2,300 m on the north slope of the southern Zagros, c.105 km north-north-east of Shiraz. Situated in a region of rolling Artemisia steppe and wheat cultivation, the lake and marsh are generally frozen all winter and can dry out completely in summer. The dominant vegetation in the eastern part is Butomus umbellatus and Sparganium, and in the western part mainly grassy plants.
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.
Additional biodiversity: See box for key species. A very important staging area for Phoenicopterus ruber, geese, ducks and Grus grus, and occasionally (if not frozen) also a very important wintering area. In spring and autumn the lake can hold as many as 120,000 migratory waterfowl (including P. ruber and G. grus). Other passage migrants include Pelecanus onocrotalus, Anser anser and Tadorna ferruginea. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | rangeland/pastureland
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 45 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 45 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 11 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: There is no legal protection, though the lake has been proposed as a Ramsar Site. A proposal by the Ministry of Jihad to utilize the water for irrigation purposes has recently been blocked by the Department of the Environment because of the site’s ornithological importance, but this could resurface. In recent years, large-scale die-offs of waterfowl, possibly due to botulism, have been reported during the breeding and migration seasons, and the mortality can be as high as 10,000 birds.
Additional information
References: Scott (1976a).