Data Zone
Country/territory: Tunisia
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4iii (2010)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 2,100 hectares (21.00 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2009 | very poor | medium | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2001 baseline)
The site is an extensive coastal lagoon with an intertidal area covering 1,600 ha. It is situated on the southern edge of the Gulf of Gabès, 50 km north of the town of Medenine. It is fringed by saltmarshes; the vegetation is therefore predominantly halophytic, dominated by Halocnemum, Salicornia and Suaeda species.
Key biodiversity
See Box for key species. See under Kneiss (site TN032) for the ornithological importance of the Gulf of Gabès; many of the species recorded there occur at Gourine. The area is important for wintering Larus genei, L. ridibundus and Sterna caspia. There are breeding populations of Larus cachinnans and Sterna albifrons. In addition, six species of the Mediterranean North Africa biome (A01) and four of the Sahara–Sindian biome (A02) occur at this site (see Table 2).
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Côte de Zerkine et El Grine (Tunisia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/côte-de-zerkine-et-el-grine-iba-tunisia on 23/12/2024.