Nature of Kazakhstan: wildlife, plants, rivers and zones
Reference pages for students and travellers: every figure has a named source, and each topic ends with where you can see it for yourself.
Photo: Mike Tyurin · Pexels
Nature of Kazakhstan in photos
Real photos by travellers (Pexels, Unsplash, Wikimedia Commons); author and licence are given in each caption.
This section covers the living side of Kazakhstan: definitions, summary tables and sourced figures. Where we could not find a source, the page says so.
To plan by season, open the month-by-month nature calendar. Protected areas are listed separately under Kazakhstan’s strict nature reserves. The result of the Seven Wonders of Kazakhstan contest could not be confirmed, and that page explains why.
Animals of Kazakhstan: how many species and who lives where
Around 180 mammals, 500 birds and over 100 fish. This is the overview, including the species Kazakhstan brought back. For choosing a trip, …
Birdwatching in Kazakhstan: species, migration and where to go
More than 500 species recorded and about 400 breeding, plus the Korgalzhyn-Tengiz lakes, which feed up to 15 to 16 million birds. A planning …
Flamingos in Kazakhstan: the world's northernmost colony
Greater flamingos breed on the islands of Lake Tengiz, further north than anywhere else. The Ramsar description says up to 14,000 pairs, …
Kazakhstan nature calendar: what happens each month
From Caspian seal pups to gold larches at Markakol: twelve months, a source for each event, and a place to go for it.
Kazakhstan's Red Book: the 217 listed animals and where to see them
The Red Book is also a legal list. The August 2026 wording names 217 animals, including the snow leopard, the Caspian seal and the flamingo. …
Natural zones of Kazakhstan: from forest-steppe to desert
Going south across the plains, forest-steppe gives way to steppe, semi-desert and desert. In the mountains, altitude does the same job. …
Poppy fields in Kazakhstan: when they bloom and how to find them
Red fields appear around Almaty from late April into May for about two weeks. They move from year to year, so a fixed address does not …
Red Book plants of Kazakhstan: 387 listed, from wild apple to tulips
The legal plant list has 387 entries, including 18 wild tulips, the Sievers apple and the Sogdian ash. It also counts fungi and a lichen.
Rivers of Kazakhstan: the longest, their basins and where to see them
The Irtysh runs 4,248 km and only part of that is in Kazakhstan. Most other rivers here never reach an ocean. Lengths come with their …
Saiga antelope in Kazakhstan: numbers, range and can you see one
Kazakhstan holds most of the world's saiga. The April 2026 aerial count put the population at about 4.689 million, up from roughly 21,500 in …
Wild tulips in Kazakhstan: where and when they bloom
Roughly 40 wild tulip species grow here, and 18 are on the national protected list. Bloom starts in late March in the warm south and climbs …
Frequently asked questions
Can I use these pages for school work?
Yes, but cite the original document rather than us: the laws and sources are listed at the foot of each page. If a textbook gives a different number, check its year, because the lists and counts change.
How many species are on Kazakhstan's Red Book lists?
Government Decree No. 1034 lists 217 animals (August 2026 wording) and 387 plants (2012 wording). See the Red Book page.
Where can I actually see this wildlife?
Each page ends with links to specific places and parks. To pick a trip, start with where to see wildlife in Kazakhstan.