Bojaq National Park

Bojaq National Park is an excellent habitat for fascinating birds. This national park is one of Iran's hubs of birdwatching. To visit there, travel to Gilan province, Iran.

Bojaq National Park protects an unparalleled landscape that provides important habitat for numerous rare and endangered species like Red-breasted goose, Grey Phalarope, and Water lily.

• What do we see in Bojaq National Park?
   
  • Amir Kalayeh International Lagoon
    This lagoon is located about one kilometer from the Caspian Sea, and it is a freshwater lagoon. In this lagoon, unique and beautiful plants like sea pistachio and White Water-Lily grow. This beautiful lagoon is home to aquatic creatures, and many native and migratory birds. Just passing away by boat through the White Water-Lily and watch the birds charm the lagoon.
     
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  • Bojaq National Park
    Bird watching is one of the most exciting branches of nature tourism. There are various habitats in Iran that host beautiful birds from all over the world every year. Watching the migratory birds, which come from thousands of miles, is an incredible experience.

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  The Bojaq National Park, with an area of 3250 hectares, was protected in 1999 as a protected area and joined the National Parks Association of Iran in 2002 with a resolution. This national park, which presents the Kiashahr lagoon as an international wetland to global, is one of the critical habitats for birds and aquatic life in the north of Iran.
  A wooden bridge crosses over the lagoon and is known as the Kiashahr Bridge. This bridge, which passes through the meadows, actually links the sea of Bojaq National Park. Boating among this lagoon is another attraction of this national park.
   

• What species live in Bojaq National Park?
  Bojaq National Park is a safe and natural habitat for 239 migratory bird species that migrate to this area every year beginning in the autumn, and draw a beautiful autumn festival of rare bird species for tourists. The bird migration to this habitat has increased in recent years, with hundreds of thousands of migratory birds landing in this area in winter.
  
   
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The birds of Bojaq National Park are:

Swan, Goose, Duck, Flamingo, Ruddy shelduck, Coot (Perla), Sternidae, Bitterns, Egrets, Eurasian teal, Pelican, Curlews, Eurasian wigeon, Grebes, Stork, Large white-headed gulls, Large white-headed gulls, Heron, Ring-necked Pheasant, Quail, Eurasian stone-curlew, Little bustard, Northern lapwing, Sandpiper, Woodcock, Calidris, Woodpecker, Owl, Snipe, Eurasian hoopoe, Rollers, Bee-eater and Bird of prey like eagles, Kite, Sea eagle, Bearded vulture, eagle, Eurasian sparrowhawk, Northern goshawk, Levant sparrowhawk, Merlin, Kestrel, Lille, Saker falcon, Barbary falcon, Sylvia warblers, Emberizdae, Laughing dove, Tit, Spotted flycatcher, Wagtails, Shrike, Common nightingale, Eye Stone, Nightingale, Common linnet, and Barn swallow.
Of course, there are only 20 species of native birds in this park, and the rest are migratory birds, most of which spend the winter in the area and then return to their hometowns.
The Grey Phalarope is a rare bird that has been seen only twice in Iran, once in Bojaq National Park and once in the south of Iran. Other rare birds such as the Red-breasted goose, Phalaropodidae, Anser fabalis, and small Lesser white-fronted goose are also found in this area.
More than 50 species of aquatic species have also been identified in this park, including Caspian kutum, Common carp, Northern pike, Crucian carp, Tench, Caspian roach, Blicca bjoerkna, and Rudd.

• Plant species of Bojaq National Park
  In visiting Bojaq National Park, you will find a variety of plants. Common reed, Cattail, Duckweeds, and Trappa are abundant plant species in this area. Watermilfoil, Ceratophyllum, and Sparganium should also be added to this list. The shrubs that grow in this national park are mostly Tamarisk and Alder.

• What is the best time to go?
  Autumn and winter are the seasons of Bird migration to Bojaq National Park. If you only want to travel bird watching, mid-autumn to mid-winter is the best time. In spring and summer, you can also enjoy the lush greenery of this area and watch the native creatures of the wetlands.

• Getting there?
  Bojaq National Park is part of the coastal strip of the Caspian Sea and situated between Kiashahr & Zibakenar in Gilan. The Sefid-rud River, which is one of the prominent rivers of this province, flows through this national park. If you plan to visit this national park, you must first reach Rasht. Click here to see ways to get there. It is about an hour and thirty minutes from the city of Rasht to Bojaq National Park.