Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box for key species. The site is also important, especially in wet winters, for other wintering waterbirds including Ardea cinerea, and a variety of ducks notably Anas penelope and A. clypeata. Grus grus use the site as a roost, especially in winters when Kelbia is dry. On the beach seaward of the lagoon, some Sterna species breed, in particular S. albifrons and perhaps also S. hirundo.

Site description The site is partly a coastal lagoon, on the eastern coastline, south of Korba lagoons and 25 km south of Hammamet. In most years it dries out entirely in summer, unlike Korba. It is also partly a saline depression, receiving run-off from the Dorsale mountains, and is surrounded by agricultural land. The vegetation is mainly salt-tolerant, with Arthrocnemum, Salicornia and Atriplex species dominant.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Land use

Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.

Management considerations Threats include human disturbance and hunting, and extension of hotel and tourist facilities southward from Hammamet.

References Gaultier (1988a), Hamrouni (1999), Hughes et al. (1997).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Sebkhet Sidi Khelifa. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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