Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site is a Roman aqueduct, situated 17 km south of Tunis, which used to form part of the Zaghouan to Carthage water-supply system. It consists of a series of 20-m-high pillars and arches in which many cavities and holes have developed. The site, which crosses the valley of the Miliana river, is surrounded by wheat fields.
See Box for key species. The cavities and holes in the aqueduct are used as nesting and roosting sites by
Falco naumanni (30 pairs),
F. biarmicus,
F. tinnunculus,
Coracias garrulus,
Petronia petronia,
Sturnus unicolor and
Corvus corax.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The surrounding area is a Hunting Reserve and the aqueduct is protected as an archaeological monument. The widespread use of pesticides in the areas where the raptors feed is a cause for concern.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Aqueduc de Zaghouan (Tunisia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/aqueduc-de-zaghouan-iba-tunisia on 23/11/2024.
