La Réserve Naturelle du Lac des Oiseaux

Lac des Oiseaux

La Réserve Naturelle du Lac des Oiseaux

  • Country: 
    Algeria
  • Site number: 
    975
  • Area: 
    120 ha
  • Designation date: 
    22-03-1999
  • Coordinates: 
    36°46'N 08°07'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

This shallow permanent freshwater lake in the north-east of the country shrinks to about half its size in the dry season. It is a representative and unique wetland type of the Mediterranean region – only the Ebro Delta in Spain and the Camargue in France are larger. The Site supports a surprising diversity of vegetation (some 200 species), birds, and insects. The endangered white-headed duck (Oxyura leucocephala) and the vulnerable marbled duck (Marmaronetta angustirostris) nest there; 164 individuals of the former were counted in January 1998, more than 2% of the world population. A 1996 study identified 31 plant species belonging to 16 botanical families including 70% helophytes and 30% hydrophytes. Around 8,000 people live nearby, and grazing of small numbers of livestock is practiced around the lake. The effects of population growth, uncontrolled extraction of water for irrigation, household sewage, poaching, and intense road traffic are all seen as  potential threats. The lake is a well-used natural centre for environmental education.

Administrative region: 
El Tarf,

  • National legal designation: 
    • Nature Reserve - lac des oiseaux
  • Last publication date: 
    09-05-2019

Downloads

Ramsar Information Sheet (RIS)

Additional reports and documents