Ghzil-Aghaj State Reserve (), meaning golden tree, was established on July 3, 1929, by the Committee on Protection of the Ancient and Art Monuments of Azerbaijan on an area of 884 km2 on Ghizil-Agaj Bay at the southwestern shore of the Caspian Sea, in Lankaran District, southeastern Azerbaijan.
Creation Ghizil-Aghaj State Reserve was created for protecting and creating conditions for wintering and nesting of migrant, swamp and wild birds in 1929.Gizil-Agach Reserve - Natural Reserves of Azerbaijan Along with the reserve, there is also the Little Qizil-Aghaj State Nature Protected area with a total area of 10,700 ha. Qizil-Aghaj is biggest reserve in the country according to area, and the third according to date of establishment.
The reserve was included in the list of UNESCO Ramsar convention "On internationally important swampy areas as the birds' residing places" together with Ag-Gel National Park.
Flora and fauna Most species of birds included in the Red Book of Azerbaijan are found in the reserve and adjacent areas. The reserve accounts for 248 species of birds. Such mammals as wild boar, wolf, wild cat, badger, sable, fox, etc. populate this reserve. There are 54 fish species including clupea, caspian kutum, common carp, wels catfish, sander marinus, common bream, flathead grey mullet in the water basins of this reserve.
Birds +The list of birds of the reserve, listed in the Red Book of AzerbaijanPictureName (local name)Scientific namePictureName (local name)Scientific nameGreater flamingo (Qızılqaz)Phoenicopterus roseusLittle bustard (Bəzgək)Tetrax tetraxGreat white pelican (Çəhrayı qutan)Pelecanus onocrotalusGrey-headed swamphen (Sultan toyuğu)Porphyrio poliocephalusDalmatian pelican (Qıvrımlələk qutan)Pelecanus crispusRed-breasted goose (Qırmızıdöş qaz)Branta ruficollisBlack stork (Qara leylək)Ciconia nigraMarbled duck (Mərmər cürə)Marmaronetta angustirostrisEurasian spoonbill (Ərsindimdik)Platalea leucorodiaMute swan (Fısıldayan qu)Cygnus olorWhite-tailed eagle (Ağquyruq dəniz qartalı)Haliaeetus albicillaBewick's swan (Kiçik qu)Cygnus columbianus bewickiiEastern imperial eagle (Məzar qartalı)Aquila heliacaSociable lapwing (Qırıldayan cüllüt)Vanellus gregariusGolden eagle (Berkut)Aquila chrysaetosWhite-tailed lapwing (Ağquyruq çökükburun)Vanellus leucurusBlack francolin (Turac)Francolinus francolinusCollared pratincole (Çöl haçaquyruq cüllütü)Glareola pratincolaGreat bustard (Dovdaq)Otis tarda
See also Gizilaghaj National Park Nature of Azerbaijan National Parks of Azerbaijan State Reserves of Azerbaijan State Game Reserves of Azerbaijan Kura Island Ghizil-Agaj Bay
References