Wetland ecosystems play a key role in biodiversity conservation. Though artificial waterbodies do not have the functionality of natural wetlands, they can constitute new habitats for bird species and act as their refugia. Over three years, we carried out avifaunal surveys at three major man-made waterbodies (Vahdat, Shahid Kazemi and Gavoshan dams) in Kurdistan province, western Iran, to provide their first checklist of bird species and to see if they can act as refugia for bird species during the drought conditions of the region. A total of 78 bird species were recorded during these surveys. Two species are listed in Appendix I and eight species in Appendix II of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). Seventy-four species (93.7%) are listed as Least Concern, two Vulnerable and two Near Threatened in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. This study suggests that these man-made structures can act as alternatives to natural wetlands and can provide suitable habitats for many bird species. Effective protection in these areas requires the prevention of human disturbance including illegal hunting, overfishing and human disturbance.
