IUCN Red List

The "Red Book" of the Republic of Azerbaijan is an official state document reflecting the status of rare and endangered species of wild fauna and flora within the country's territory. It contains information on the status, distribution, and conservation measures of species across the entire republic, including the sector of the Caspian Sea (lakes) belonging to Azerbaijan.

The establishment of the "Red Book" is one of the effective methods of biodiversity conservation. In 1977, Heydar Aliyev made the decision to create the "Red Book" to protect the gene pool of Azerbaijan's flora and fauna.

The protection of flora and fauna in Azerbaijan is enshrined both in the country's legislation and in the first edition of the "Red Book" of plants and animals of the Azerbaijan SSR, published in 1989. This document includes 140 species of Azerbaijani flora and 108 species of fauna recognized as needing protection by scientists.

The second edition of the "Red Book" was prepared and published in 2013 in two volumes: the first volume is dedicated to flora, and the second to fauna. It includes 223 species of fauna and 300 species of flora.

The latest edition of the "Red Book" (2023) includes 241 rare and endangered fauna species, including 152 vertebrates and 89 invertebrates, as well as 460 species of flora: 383 algae, 15 spores, 6 mosses, 14 sibyas, and 5 algae. Additionally, a pink list has been compiled for the first time, which includes 51 species of plants.