The Ag-Gel National Park was established in 2003 for the preservation of migrating routes, areas of wintering and nesting of waterfowl and wader birds, as well as for breeding of commercial fish species.
The area of 4400 hectares covers the water area of Lake Ag-Gel. Lake Ag-Gel (white lake) reserve is situated in the Mill steppe of the Kura-Araks Lowlands, it may be called an “ornithological oasis”: this is not only a reserve area but one of the most important places of wintering in the Republic.
The Mill Steppe surrounding the lake is a slightly hilly accumulative plain, where mostly semi-desert and arid steppe type: summer is warm and dry, winter is cool. Twenty fish species inhabit the reserve: pike, erythroculter, mongolicus, carp and others. Earlier, when the lake was connected with the River Kura, the Ichthiofauna was richer.
Among amphibians, green toad, hylidae, lake trod and others inhabit the reserve. Among reptiles the Caspian and swamp turtles, common and water grass snakes occur. There are 134 bird species in the orilitofauna of the reserve, including 89 nesting birds. There are more than 30 specimens of charadriiformes and 24 specimens of anseriformers.
Among the birds occurring here there are species included in the “Red Book” – Francolinus, white-tailed eagle, white pelicans (Pelicanus onocrotalus), Dalmatin pelicans (Pelicanus crispus) and others.
Among mammals, represented by 22 species, wild boar, coypu and jungle cat (Felis chaus) are common, Unique colonial nesting places of Ciconifonnes and Totimplate birds (Pelecanifonnes) are preserved here, which are of great scientific and practical interest.
The main protected objects are the water – swamp ecosystem of Lake Ag-Gel, places of mass nesting, places of rest during migration and wintering for waterfowl and coastal birds.
