A freshwater lake in central Italy, in a volcanic crater about 10 km south-east of the town of Viterbo. The borders of the lake are fringed with Phragmites and Juncus. The surrounding area is mainly broadleaved forest (dominated by oak Quercus, beech Fagus, hornbeam Carpinus, chestnut Castanea, maple Acer) and agricultural land. Main land-use is agriculture.
Key biodiversity
The lake is notable for wintering duck, the surroundings for breeding owls, woodpeckers and passerines.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Agricultural intensification is the major threat to the site.
Protected areas
National Partial International None3,200 ha of IBA covered by Regional Nature Reserve (Lago di Vico, 3,200 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vico lake. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 25/03/2023.
