Lake Khanchali

Javakheti is part of the volcanic highlands located between Georgia, Armenia and Turkey. The ecosystem of this region of Georgia with its mountain steppes, subalpine tall grass and alpine meadows, relict subalpine forest groves, marsh and aquatic plants and dozens of endemic species represents one of the unique habitats in the Caucasus ecoregion.

Javakheti's almost pristine nature surprises with its diversity. Here you may find meadows with diverse vegetation, mountains of volcanic origin, rivers and lakes of extraordinary beauty.

Lake Khanchli is located in Ninotsminda municipality, near the villages of Didi and Patara Khanchli. The mirror area of the lake is 13.3 square kilometers and its maximum width is 2,500 meters. The water in the lake is fresh and has a brown color. The surface of the lake is covered with algae in summer and with ice from late November to late April.

The peculiarity of Lake Hanchly is its shallow depth - the water level does not rise above 80 cm, which makes it easy for birds to get food from the bottom of the lake. The shallow depth of the lake accounts for its high water temperature. It is the warmest lake among other Javakheti lakes. That is why the lake is an attractive place for birds to live and rest. One can see white storks in Lake Khanchli, which nest in the villages of Javakheti right on electricity poles and roofs. On the lake you can observe cranes and curly pelicans, meet huge colonies of seagulls. On the shores of the lake there are a lot of snipe, woodpecker, stiltpipers.

Lake Khanchali and the Javakheti Plateau are among the major migration routes for birds. There are many wintering waterfowl in Javakheti, most of which stay here, but from the frozen lake they migrate to rivers. During certain seasons, especially in autumn, there is an influx of birds of prey waterfowl and wading birds.