The Aktash Massif Important Bird Area lies in Sughd Province, the northernmost part of

Tajikistan Tajikistan (, ; tg, Тоҷикистон, Tojikiston; russian: Таджикистан, Tadzhikistan), officially the Republic of Tajikistan ( tg, Ҷумҳурии Тоҷикистон, Jumhurii Tojikiston), is a landlocked country in Centr ...

Description

The

Important Bird Area An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area identified using an internationally agreed set of criteria as being globally important for the conservation of bird populations. IBA was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife Int ...

(IBA) is a mountainous 47,421 ha site covering the southern slope of the Kuraminskiy ridge on the border with

Uzbekistan Uzbekistan (, ; uz, Ozbekiston, italic=yes / , ; russian: Узбекистан), officially the Republic of Uzbekistan ( uz, Ozbekiston Respublikasi, italic=yes / ; russian: Республика Узбекистан), is a doubly landlocked cou ...

, which forms the eastern, northern and western limits of the IBA. Its altitude ranges from 1700 to 3000 m above sea level. It contains many

snowfield A snow field, snowfield or neve is an accumulation of permanent snow and ice, typically found above the snow line, normally in mountainous and glacial terrain. Glaciers originate in snowfields. The lower end of a glacier is usually free from sn ...

- and spring-fed streams which flow into the Aktash and Ashtsay rivers – tributaries of the

Syr Darya The Syr Darya (, ),, , ; rus, Сырдарья́, Syrdarjja, p=sɨrdɐˈrʲja; fa, سيردريا, Sirdaryâ; tg, Сирдарё, Sirdaryo; tr, Seyhun, Siri Derya; ar, سيحون, Seyḥūn; uz, Sirdaryo, script-Latn/. historically known ...

. Its

juniper Junipers are coniferous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Juniperus'' () of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Depending on the taxonomy, between 50 and 67 species of junipers are widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, from the Arcti ...

forests consist largely of old trees with a relatively open canopy, with regeneration restricted by overgrazing. The site includes the Aktashsky Zakaznik (nature reserve) which was established for the conservation of

Menzbier's marmot The Menzbier's marmot (''Marmota menzbieri'') is a species of rodent in the family Sciuridae from Central Asia. Its name commemorates Russian zoologist Mikhail Aleksandrovich Menzbier. Distribution and habitat It inhabits meadows and steppe at ...

, at the time the only place in Tajikistan where the species occurred, though it has since become extinct there.

Birds

The site was identified as an IBA by

BirdLife International BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...

because it supports populations of 162 species of birds, including

Himalayan snowcock The Himalayan snowcock (''Tetraogallus himalayensis'') is a snowcock in the pheasant family Phasianidae found across the Himalayan ranges and parts of the adjoining Pamir range of Asia. It is found on alpine pastures and on steep rocky cliffs wh ...

s, saker falcons, cinereous vultures,

solitary snipe The solitary snipe (''Gallinago solitaria'') is a small stocky wader. It is found in the Palearctic from northeast Iran to Japan and Korea. Description This is a large and heavy snipe 29–31 cm long with a stocky body and relatively sho ...

s, European rollers, Alpine choughs,

Hume's short-toed lark Hume's short-toed lark (''Calandrella acutirostris'') is a species of lark in the family Alaudidae. It is found in south-central Asia from Iran and Kazakhstan to China. Taxonomy and systematics The name commemorates the British naturalist Allan ...

sulphur-bellied warbler The sulphur-bellied warbler (''Phylloscopus griseolus'') is a species of leaf-warbler found in the Palearctic region (Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Russian Federation entral Asian Russia Tajikistan and Turkmenistan). It was earl ...

s, wallcreepers, white-winged snowfinches,

brown accentor The brown accentor (''Prunella fulvescens'') is a species of bird in the family Prunellidae. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its natural habitat ...

s, water pipits, red-fronted serins, crimson-winged finches,

red-mantled rosefinch The red-mantled rosefinch (''Carpodacus rhodochlamys'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Afghanistan, China, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, and Tajikistan. Its natural habitats are temperate f ...

es and

white-winged grosbeak The white-winged grosbeak (''Mycerobas carnipes'') is a species of finch in the family Fringillidae. It is found in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, India, Iran, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. Its natural ...

References

Important Bird Areas of Tajikistan Sughd Region {{Tajikistan-geo-stub