(Canis aureus), jungle cat (Felis chaus), Caucasian badger (Meles canescens), and Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). This ecoregion is the main green resting area for birds migrating between central-northern Russia and Africa so a key habitat for many bird species. Notable birds seen here are the greylag goose (Anser anser), white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), Little bustard (Tetrax tetrax), glossy ibis (Plegadis falcinellus), Eurasian spoonbill (Platalea leucorodia), night heron (Nycticorax nycticorax), red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis), peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), Dalmatian pelican (Pelecanus crispus), cattle egret (Bubulcus ibis), squacco heron (Ardeola ralloides), greater flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala), and Caspian snowcock (Tetraogallus caspius). Endemic species The Hyrcanian forests are thought to have served as a refugium for certain species during changing climatic conditions. The Iranian edible dormouse (Glis persicus) is an endemic of this ecoregion, and is thought to have evolved when mid-Miocene climatic change led to the fragmentation of the ancestral Glis population, with one such population fragment surviving in these forests and evolving into a new species. The bat Myotis hyrcanicus is likely also endemic to this region. The region is also known to preserve a unique lineage of bicolored shrew (Crocidura leucodon) that diverged from the other lineages during the mid-Pleistocene, about 1 million years ago. Protected areas The diversity and endemism of the species make the Caspian Hyrcanian forests a priority and unique feature for species conservation. Habitats are threatened by conversion into tea, vegetable, fruit, and vine plantations, unsustainable forestry and poaching. Protected areas in Azerbaijan include: Gizil-Agach State Reserve – Hirkan National Park - Protected areas in Iran include: Golestan National Park Jahan Nama Protected Area Central Alborz Protected Area Lisar Protected Area Siah Keshim Protected Area Dodangeh Wildlife Refuge Neka Miankaleh Wildlife Refuge Selkeh Wildlife Refuge Dashtenaz Wildlife Refuge Gallery See also Hyrcania Geography of Iran Geography of Azerbaijan List of World Heritage Sites in Western Asia References External links Coastal Profiles - I.R.Iran Ecoregions of Azerbaijan Ecoregions of Iran Ecoregions of Asia Ecoregions of Europe Forests of Azerbaijan Forests of Iran Alborz (mountain range) Astara District Lankaran District Lerik District Masally District Yardimli District Geography of Gilan Province Geography of Golestan Province Geography of Mazandaran Province Mountain ranges of Azerbaijan Mountain ranges of Iran Palearctic ecoregions Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests World Heritage Sites in Iran