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close| Location | Tunisia, Nabeul |
| Central coordinates | 10o 56.00' East 36o 41.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A4i |
| Area | 1,200 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 2m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See Box for key species. Given the site’s situation directly on the path of birds migrating between Africa and Europe, it is a key stop-over site for migrants in spring and autumn (when it is one of the few wetland sites which regularly hold water). A wide variety of waterbirds occur, especially herons, waders, gulls and terns, including Ardea cinerea, Egretta garzetta, Phoenicopterus ruber, Tadorna tadorna, Marmaronetta angustirostris (40–100 birds on passage), Anas platyrhynchos, A. clypeata, A. acuta, Calidris minuta, Himantopus himantopus (up to 250 pairs breed), Charadrius dubius, C. alexandrinus and Recurvirostra avosetta.
Site description The site is a narrow coastal lagoon located between the towns of Korba and Menzel Temime, on the eastern coast of the Cap Bon peninsula. It is 12 km long, but never exceeds 400 m in width. It is the largest surviving lagoon of a chain which used to extend all along the eastern shore of the Cap Bon peninsula, several of which have dried up because of agricultural use of groundwater. Water-levels are quite deep in winter, because of winter rainfall, but most dry out in summer; the Korba lagoons remain wet even in summer because they receive treated waste-water from the town and the organic outflow from canning factories. The seaward shoreline supports a dune vegetation comprising Ammophila arenaria, Erygium maritimum and Euphorbia paralias. The edges of the lagoon itself support a halophytic vegetation, including Arthrophytum and Salicornia species.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris | passage | - | 40-100 individuals | - | A1, A4i | Vulnerable |
| Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola | breeding | - | 200 breeding pairs | - | A4i | Least Concern |
| Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola | winter | - | 300 individuals | - | A4i | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lagune de Korba hunting reserve | Reserve | 1,200 | is identical to site | 1,200 |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| hunting | - |
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
Other biodiversity None are known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations Although the site is designated a Hunting Reserve, illegal hunting occurs. Other threats include pollution caused by effluent from the town of Korba and human disturbance. The lagoon is one of the main sites included in the Medwet coastal project.
References Gaultier (1986, 1987b, 1988a), Hughes et al. (1997), Karem et al. (1997), Maamouri (1995), Meininger et al. (1994), Ministère de l’Agriculture, Direction Générale des Forêts (2000).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lagune de Korba. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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