Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Masri reservoir is, unlike the Cap Bon reservoirs, being constructed for water-supply to the national grid rather than local irrigation. It is situated quite high up in the Dorsale and flanked by mountains which reach 660 m, to the west of the town of Grombalia, south-east of Tunis. The shores are lined with vegetation composed mainly of
Phragmites communis,
Typha angustifolia and
Juncus species. The mountain slopes are clothed in a forest of
Tetraclinis articulata.
See Box for key species. Though the reservoir is small, it holds
Oxyura leucocephala (10–50 pairs), while breeding species include
Podiceps cristatus and
Tachybaptus ruficollis. Wintering waterbirds include
Aythya ferina and
Fulica atra.
Non-bird biodiversity: The mammal Hyaena hyaena (LR/nt) has been recorded from the mountains around the site.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Threats include hunting and human disturbance.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Barrage Masri (Tunisia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/barrage-masri-iba-tunisia on 22/12/2024.
