Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box for key species. The Lagune de Khnifiss is a vital stop-over site on the Atlantic coastal flyway for migrating Palearctic waders, waterfowl and seabirds, and is considered to be the third most important wintering site for waders in Morocco, after Merja Zerga (site MA010) and the Baie d’Ad-Dakhla (site MA045). It regularly holds more than 20,000 waders, including up to 14,000 Calidris alpina. Seven species are known to exceed IBA threshold levels, including (probably) Larus audouinii (CD). In total more than 170 species have been recorded, of which almost one third breed. The most notable breeding species are Tadorna ferruginea, Phalacrocorax aristotelis, P. carbo, Larus genei and Sterna hirundo; the lagoon is the only known Moroccan breeding site for the last two species.

Site description The Lagune de Khnifiss is located on the Atlantic coast between Tarfaya and Tan Tan Plage in the south of the country. It is a long, narrow inlet, several hundred metres wide and extending for 20 km, lying roughly parallel to the coast, but separated from it to the west by a line of dunes. To the east it is bounded by a row of sandstone cliffs c.50 m high, formed from ancient consolidated dunes. The lagoon is open to the sea at its mouth, known as Foum Agouitir, and is therefore tidal. At its furthest extent inland it opens out into a large saltpan, Sebkha Tazra, which is only flooded during the highest tides. The lagoon vegetation consists of saltmarsh and seagrasses while the bordering cliffs support low shrubs of semi-desert. The most important habitats for birds are the mudflats and sandbanks exposed at low tide.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Baie de Khnifiss	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	20,000	is identical to site	20,000
Khnifiss/Puerto Cansado	Biological Reserve	6,500	protected area contained by site	6,500

Land use

Other biodiversity The site holds two of Morocco’s six endemic mammals, Gerbillus occiduus and Crocidura tarfayaensis, as well as one endemic amphibian Bufo brongersmai and one endemic lizard Tarentola boehmi.

Management considerations The site is public land. It was designated as a Réserve Naturelle by ministerial decree on 3/11/1962 and reclassified as a Réserve Biologique Permanente, again by ministerial decree, on 3/06/1983. It was nominated a Ramsar Site in 1980, and was classed as a priority 1 coastal SIBE (No. L36), to which the limits of the IBA correspond. Human activities include fishing, salt-harvesting and ecotourism. Near Foum Agouitir there is a permanently manned civil-guard post which confers a degree of protection on the site. The main potential threat is the proposed exploitation of oil-bearing shales in the region. The effective implementation of a proper management plan is urgently required.

References BCEOM-SECA (1995c), Auteurs multiples (1988), Dakki and de Ligny (1988).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lagune de Khnifiss. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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