Designated on 18 May 2007 in Almaty, Kazakhstan

Country: Islamic Republic of Iran

Coordinates: 36040’N, 52033′E

Area: 5,427 ha

Overview. The site is located on the South Caspian lowlands. It is a narrow and flat coastal plain between the Caspian coastline and the steep ridges of the Alborz Mountains to the south. This site is a Non-Shooting Area designated within local rice fields. The area comprises four “damgahs,” or duck trapping areas (Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran, Eastern and Western Sorkh Rud), and Fereydoon Kenar Wildlife Refuge (48 ha), located in the northeastern part of the damgah. Each damgah is comprised of a complex of shallow freshwater impoundments situated in harvested rice paddies. The damgahs are developed as duck-hunting areas, surrounded by forest strips and reed enclosures.

Importance for the Siberian Crane. Regular wintering site. The rediscovery of this species in the South Caspian in 1978, after an absence of records for 60 years, has been described by Dr. Ali Ashtiani. Based on current information, the site appears to support the entire western Siberian Crane flock. During the last five years only one wild Siberian Crane has wintered at this site.

Importance for other waterbirds. The artificially maintained shallow impoundments and extensive rice fields at Fereydoon Kenar provide excellent feeding and roosting habitat for large numbers of wintering waterbirds, and regularly holds well in excess of tens of thousands of waterfowl in winter, with up to 100,000 birds at any one time. The wintering waterfowl includes over 1% of the regional populations of Great Cormorant, (max. 10,200); Greater White-fronted Goose (max. 1,700 in January 1988); Greylag Goose (max. 80,000 in January 2001); Common Lapwing (max. 16,000 in January 1991); and Black-tailed Godwit (max. 9,000 in January 2003).

Map of Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran & Sorkh Rud Ab-Bandans   [PDF 149 KB]

Sightings of the Siberian Crane in Fereydoonkenar [PDF 35KB]

WCASN Site Information Sheet. Part I    [PDF 119 KB]

Ramsar Site Information Sheet     [PDF 234 KB]

Sheet of the Important Bird Area Birdlife International

World Protected Areas Database

Factsheet of Fereydoon Kenar, Ezbaran & Sorkh Rud Ab-Bandans [PDF 256 KB]