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The site was identified as important in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	winter	-	12-600 individuals	A1, A4i
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	-	300-25,000 individuals	A4i
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	breeding	-	50-200 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	winter	-	10,000-90,000 individuals	A4i
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter	1991	20-90 individuals	A1
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	winter	-	5,000-10,000 individuals	A4i
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	winter	-	10,000-50,000 individuals	A4i
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter	-	500-4,500 individuals	A4i
Common Coot Fulica atra	LC	winter	-	2,000-45,000 individuals	A4i
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	passage	-	3,000-6,000 individuals	A4i
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	-	200-600 breeding pairs	A4i
Eleonora's Falcon Falco eleonorae	LC	breeding	1999	present	A3
Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Spotless Starling Sturnus unicolor	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Moussier's Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-eared Wheatear Oenanthe hispanica	LC	breeding	1999	present	A3
Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	-	100,000-499,999 individuals	A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2001).

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Anser anser	Greylag Goose	250	1526	individuals	100	favourable
Aythya ferina	Common Pochard	10000	12875	individuals	100	favourable
Spatula clypeata	Northern Shoveler	4500	10944	individuals	100	favourable
Mareca penelope	Eurasian Wigeon	3000	21223	individuals	100	favourable
Phoenicopterus roseus	Greater Flamingo	1325	3584	individuals	100	favourable
Fulica atra	Common Coot	20000	64311	individuals	100	favourable
Limosa limosa	Black-tailed Godwit	1300	13	individuals	1	very unfavourable
Glareola pratincola	Collared Pratincole	190	60	breeding pairs	32	very unfavourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	20000	125044	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	drought	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - large dams	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Parc national de l'Ichkeul	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	14,100	protected area overlaps with site	10,770
Ichkeul National Park	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed)	12,600	protected area overlaps with site	12,600
Ichkeul	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	12,600	protected area overlaps with site	12,600
Ichkeul	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	12,600	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ichkeul	National Park	12,600	protected area overlaps with site	12,600
Ichkeul	Wetland Zone of National Importance	12,600	protected area overlaps with site	0

The Local Conservation Groups listed below are working to support conservation at this IBA.

Name	Year formed
AAO/ Tunisian Ornithology Group (GTO)	2000

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)	Freshwater lakes and pools, Saline lakes	-
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ichkeul. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ichkeul-iba-tunisia on 01/10/2023.