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The site was identified as important in 2000 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
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	winter	1997	5,162 individuals	A4i, B1i
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	winter	1997	24,643 individuals	A4i, B1i
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter	1996	5,241-9,720 individuals	B1i
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	passage	1992	220 individuals	A4i, B1i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	resident	1996	11-62 breeding pairs	A1, A4i, B1i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	winter	1996	139-171 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	passage	1996	400 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	passage	1996	1,800 individuals	B1i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1996	1,079-1,763 individuals	A4i, B1i
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1996	50-130 breeding pairs	B1i, B2
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1993	75-100 breeding pairs	B2
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga	VU	non-breeding	1992	3 individuals	A1
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga	VU	winter	1996	6 individuals	A1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1990-1997	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2000).

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	Standing brackish and salt water	6408	6408	-	moderate (70-90%)	near 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	annual & perennial non-timber crops - shifting agriculture	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - intentional use: subsistence/sml scale	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Energy production and mining	renewable energy	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - nutrient loads	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high

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)
Vidhat Zharnec	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Pisha e Egër në oazin e Divjakës	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Kordoni litoral i lagunës së re,Divjakë	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Karavasta Lagoon	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	20,000	protected area contained by site	20,000
Ishulli i Pelikanit	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ishulli i Kularit	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Gorica e kodrës,Kryekuq	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Godulla e Pishës,Divjakë	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Dunat e Oazit të Divjakës	Nature Monument (Category III IUCN)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Divjake-Karavasta	Park Kombetar	22,230	protected area overlaps with site	20,000

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland, Mixed woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest	-
Shrubland	Scrub	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Other urban and industrial areas	-
Marine Neritic		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

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

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
forestry	-
hunting	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Karavasta Lagoon. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/karavasta-lagoon-iba-albania on 28/09/2023.