As one of Lake Urmia islands, Kaboodan has been registered as a protected biosphere since 1967 by the Iranian Environmental Protection Organization. Except for the Islami Island, all Lake Urmia islands including Kaboodan have been registered as National Park.

Kaboodan Island is situated in the southeastern waters of the lake, 12km off the Port of Rahmanloo. With a length of 9km and width of 4km, the island spans over an area of 3175 hectares in total. It has an altitude of 1521m above the sea level, and is one of the largest and most beautiful islands of Lake Urmia.

Kaboodan Island is the natural habitat of mouflon (Armenian wild sheep) and ram as well as the Iranian yellow deer, which is one of the rarest animal species in the world.

Kaboodan is the only one of the Lake Urmia islands with fresh water throughout the year. The wildlife’s needed fresh water is supplied by two springs in the south side of the island.

Each part of the island has a unique picturesque beauty on its own. The presence of large bird species such as the golden eagle and Egyptian vulture has made the island even more special. Other bird species include white-bottomed bird, stone bird, oriole, greenfinch, seagull, hoopoe, partridge and aquatic species such as Flamingo, red-billed coot and some species of geese.

Flamingos inhabit the relatively quiet waters between the northwestern corner of Kaboodan and the islands of Arezoo and Espir. Different kinds of Algae and aquatic crustaceans called Artemia Salina, which can be found in Lake Urmia waters, serve as the main food source for the flamingos. The island’s mouflons and rams have been declared as protected species since 1961. Today, their number has swollen to more than 3500.

The main habitats of the mouflons, rams and Iranian yellow deers in the Kaboodan Island are Ghooch Darahsi, Jen Darahsi, Gola Darahsi, Hassan Agha Darahsi, Zarza, Shekargah, small Qara Dagh and great Qara Dagh.

These areas have been recorded altogether by UNESCO as one of the 59 biosphere reserves with rare flora and fauna. 

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