Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
El Houareb reservoir is a man-made water-body built about 20 years ago on the Oued Merguellil, 35 km east of Kairouan, for flood-control and water-supply purposes. Where the river emerges from the Dorsale the reservoir is bordered by higher land, but also has extensive flat shores. It retains the waters which once flowed into Sebkha Kelbia (site TN020). It has an average depth of nearly 20 m, but in periods of poor rainfall, it can remain completely dry for several years on end. The surrounding vegetation is composed mainly of
Tamarix africana,
Typha angustifolia and
Juncus species. The waterplant
Potamogeton pectinatus grows commonly in the reservoir and provides the main food-source for wildfowl.
See Box for key species. The reservoir has become one of the most important sites in Tunisia for breeding
M. angustirostris and
O. leucocephala (whose numbers appear to be augmented in winter)—although it is not clear where these species go in dry years. Other species, including
Podiceps cristatus and
Tachybaptus ruficollis, also breed
. The site is a wintering site for a broad array of species, including
Phalacrocorax carbo,
Casmerodius albus,
Anas penelope,
A. acuta,
A. clypeata,
Aythya ferina,
A. fuligula and
Fulica atra. In addition, eight species of the Mediterranean North Africa biome (A01) have been recorded (see Table 2).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Uncontrolled hunting is the main threat to waterbirds. There are no obvious threats to the habitat and the site is patrolled by waterworks staff.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Barrage El Houareb (Tunisia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/barrage-el-houareb-iba-tunisia on 23/11/2024.
