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TN034
Sebkhet Dreïaa
Location Tunisia, Sfax
Central coordinates 10o 2.00' East  34o 5.00' North
IBA criteria A4i
Area 580 ha
Altitude 0 - 30m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Association "Les Amis des Oiseaux"



Ornithological information See Box and Table 2 for key species. The area is also important for wintering and passage waterbirds, with up to 100 Phalacrocorax carbo, 35–50 Egretta garzetta, 150–200 Platalea leucorodia, 200–250 Tadorna tadorna, 1,400 Anas penelope, 100 A. acuta, Grus grus, Haematopus ostralegus, 7,000–8,000 Calidris alpina, 700 Numenius arquata, 1,070 Tringa totanus, 300–350 Larus fuscus in winter, and breeding Larus cachinnans, Sterna albifrons and, perhaps, some S. hirundo. Up to 14,000 waterbirds occur. In addition, seven species of the Mediterranean North Africa biome (A01) have been recorded (see Table 2).

Site description The site is situated 14 km south-west of Skhira and 30 km north-west of the town of Gabès. It comprises a sebkhet (about 380 ha), an intertidal area (about 200 ha) and the part of Oued Rimth that crosses Sebkhet Dreïaa and ends into the Gulf of Gabès. The intertidal area is overgrown with Zostera and near the shoreline there is an abundant growth of Halocnemum, Atriplex, Phragmites spp. and Juncus maritimus. Further inland, the vegetation is more sparse and essentially consists of Arthrocnemum sp. while parts of the sebkhet are unvegetated.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola winter  -  1,500-2,000 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus winter  -  700-1,000 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Subalpine Warbler Sylvia cantillans passage  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Spectacled Warbler Sylvia conspicillata resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Red-rumped Wheatear Oenanthe moesta resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica breeding  1999  -  -    Least Concern 

Local conservation groups The local conservation group below is working to support conservation at this IBA.

Name Year formed
AAO/ Gabes Regional Branch 2000

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
not utilised -

Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.

Management considerations Hunting and human disturbance are the main threats.

References Hughes et al. (1997), van Dijk et al. (1986).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Sebkhet Dreïaa. 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