Durankulak Lake

Durankulak Lake
Durankulak, east side and Black Sea

Durankulak Lake

  • Country: 
    Bulgaria
  • Site number: 
    293
  • Area: 
    1,370.8 ha
  • Designation date: 
    28-11-1984
  • Coordinates: 
    43°40'N 28°32'E
Materials presented on this website, particularly maps and territorial information, are as-is and as-available based on available data and do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area, or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

Overview

Durankulak, close to the northern border with Romania, is a brackish lake separated from the Black Sea by a narrow sand bar. It is located on the “Via Pontica”, the second largest bird migratory route in Europe, so a large number of birds use the site as a stopover or wintering refuge. It is especially important for the internationally threatened red-breasted goose (Branta ruficollis) and the greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons), which over-winter in great numbers. The Lake hosts a total of 254 bird species, 92 of which are nesting; 72 are nationally threatened. Almost 22,000 individuals have been counted. Durankulak Lake also contains several plants endemic to the Balkans, and a diverse algal flora, consisting of over 70 different species. Several conservation measures are in place, including a 500-metre buffer zone in which hunting and pesticides are banned and fishing regulated. Despite that, the overgrowing of reeds and the increasing population of golden jackal are threats.

Administrative region: 
Shabla Municipality, Dobrich District of Bulgaria

  • National legal designation: 
    • Protected Site - Durankulashko Ezero
  • Regional (international) legal designations: 
    • EU Natura 2000
  • Last publication date: 
    20-01-2020