Population: Between 2015 and 2023, the number of nesting birds on Lake Alakol in Kazakhstan varied from 1,500 pairs in 2015 to 5005 pairs in 2016, and 3506 pairs in 2023. The global population is estimated to be from 125 thousand to 1.1 million individuals.
Status: A rare and endangered species whose numbers arerapidly declining (Category II).
Distribution: Its range extends from the Northern Black Sea region in the west to the lakes of Chany and Julukul in the east. The largest colonies are on the islands of the Caspian Sea. In Kazakhstan, it breeds on the lakes Balkhash, Alakol, quarrels of the Karaganda and West Kazakhstan regions, and on the islands of the northeastern part of the Caspian Sea.
