email a friend
printable version
TN041
Snam
Location Tunisia, Kébili
Central coordinates 9o 6.00' East  33o 28.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i
Area 120 ha
Altitude 30 - 50m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Association "Les Amis des Oiseaux"



Ornithological information See Box for key species. See under Ghidma (site TN042) for the ornithological importance of the small oasis wetlands near Douz. This site, with Ghidma, is probably the most important of these small oasis wetlands, and is one of the most important sites in Tunisia for wintering Marmaronetta angustirostris and for other Palearctic ducks. The abundance of the reeds also makes this a good breeding site for a number of species. Tachybaptus ruficollis, Nycticorax nycticorax, Ixobrychus minutus, Aythya nyroca and Rallus aquaticus have all been recorded in July. In addition, six Sahara–Sindian biome species have been recorded (see Table 2).

Site description Snam is a small reed-fringed lake, 10 km west of Douz alongside the road to Noueil. It is fed by water which runs off from the nearby oasis. Water depth is up to 1 m in winter, but in summer this wetland diminishes in size significantly. The vegetation is composed of Phragmites communis, Tamarix africana and Juncus species.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris breeding  -  common [units unknown]  -    Vulnerable 
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris winter  -  50-150 individuals  -  A1, A4i  Vulnerable 
Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Pharaoh Eagle-owl Bubo ascalaphus resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Egyptian Nightjar Caprimulgus aegyptius breeding  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Greater Hoopoe-lark Alaemon alaudipes resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 
Fulvous Chatterer Turdoides fulva resident  1999  -  -    Least Concern 

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland) Freshwater lakes and pools  major

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
other -
Notes: Cutting reeds.

Other biodiversity The ungulate Gazella dorcas (VU) has been recorded.

Management considerations The major threats are intensive hunting and the harvesting of reeds.

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

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Snam. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

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