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TN037
Gourine
Location Tunisia, Medenine
Central coordinates 10o 34.00' East  33o 39.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4iii
Area 2,100 ha
Altitude 0 - 5m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Association "Les Amis des Oiseaux"



Ornithological information See Box for key species. See under Kneiss (site TN032) for the ornithological importance of the Gulf of Gabès; many of the species recorded there occur at Gourine. The area is important for wintering Larus genei, L. ridibundus and Sterna caspia. There are breeding populations of Larus cachinnans and Sterna albifrons. In addition, six species of the Mediterranean North Africa biome (A01) and four of the Sahara–Sindian biome (A02) occur at this site (see Table 2).

Site description The site is an extensive coastal lagoon with an intertidal area covering 1,600 ha. It is situated on the southern edge of the Gulf of Gabès, 50 km north of the town of Medenine. It is fringed by saltmarshes; the vegetation is therefore predominantly halophytic, dominated by Halocnemum, Salicornia and Suaeda species.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo winter  -  10,000-12,000 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis breeding  -  -  -    Least Concern 
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis winter  -  2,000-6,000 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Bar-tailed Lark Ammomanes cinctura resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Fulvous Chatterer Turdoides fulva resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Moussier's Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri 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 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  -  20,000 individuals  unknown  A4iii   

Land use

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

Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.

Management considerations Human disturbance and hunting are the main threats.

References Azafzaf (1999a), Gaultier (1988a), Meininger (1998).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Gourine. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife