Fauna of Azerbaijan

Animal carvings on architectural monuments, ancient rocks and stones survived up to the present times.

Protozoa parasites are also registered in all areas of the country, depending on natural habitat of carrier animals (cattle, poultry, etc.).

A number of natural preserves have been created and the hunting rules were brought into effect for protection of fur and hoofed animals in Azerbaijan.

Jeyran gazelles are among the rarest and fastest species in Caucasus they can only be found in Shirvan natural preserve, Bendovan and Korchay regions of Azerbaijan.

The World Wildlife Fund has stated that these animals are one of the most critically endangered species in the Caucasus Mountains.

The last Caspian tigers were seen in foothills of Talysh Mountains and the Lenkoran river basin which are situated in south of Azerbaijan in 1964.

Ismayilli Nature Reserve near Gebele district of Azerbaijan is one of the places where you can see wild goats.

Asiatic wildcat, jungle cat, and wild boar inhabit the Samur Forest, located at the Caspian coast near the Russian border.

Five-toed jerboas, social vole, grey dwarf hamster are common in the territory of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

The natural inhabitants of Gobustan, Kyzylagach and Shirvan national parks are jackals, wolves, foxes, marbled polecats, hares, giant ditch frogs, huge flocks of migratory birds, jungle cat, golden jackal, boar, Eurasian water vole, etc.

Talysh Mountains of Azerbaijan are covered with dense forests, where Caspian shrew, Schelkovikov’s pine vole, and Hyrcanian field mouse, southern white-breasted hedgehog, Levantine mole, western barbastelle, steppe and Black Sea field mice, and Indian crested porcupine are common.

Beside, the water basins of Azerbaijan contain such valuable fish species as bream, sazan, rutilus kutum and others.

Two new fish species (Stone moroko (Pseudorasbora parva) and Korean sharpbelly (Hemiculter leucisculus)) have been discovered in Azerbaijan in 1970s.

Both of them can be found in the Azerbaijani sector of the Caspian Sea from Absheron peninsula to Astara region.

The oldest specimen of Korean sharpbelly found in the rivers is five years old with a length of 150 mm and weighs 25.4 grams.

Water birds such as swans, geese, ducks, flamingos, and waders like Black-tailed Godwit, curlews, and snipes usually collect in the wetlands, coastal and inland areas of Azerbaijan.

Most birds of the alpine zone, like Guldenstadt's Redstart and Great rosefinch move to river valleys to winter.