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The site was identified as important in 2005 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	winter	2003	16 individuals	A1, C1
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	VU	winter	1997	3,020-39,233 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	2004	311 individuals	B1i, C3
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	winter	1997	5,657-73,531 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	VU	winter	1998	15-50 individuals	A1, C1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter	2001	67 individuals	A1, C1
Little Crake Zapornia parva	LC	breeding	1998	5-7 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1996	14-17 breeding pairs	C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1998	4-6 breeding pairs	C6
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	winter	2002	200 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	passage	1996	47-228 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	winter	-	4-356 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	1996	8-17 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1996	2-14 breeding pairs	C6
Mew Gull Larus canus	LC	winter	2001	330 individuals	B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1998	5-8 breeding pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	resident	1996	4 breeding pairs	C6
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus	VU	breeding	1998	5 breeding pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1997	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2005) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2005. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	39,233	16,000	individuals	41	unfavourable
Greylag Goose Anser anser	2,202	300	individuals	14	very unfavourable
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	104,837	60,000	individuals	58	unfavourable
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	50	10	individuals	20	very unfavourable
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	20	10	breeding pairs	50	unfavourable
Charadrius alexandrinus	22	5	breeding pairs	23	very unfavourable
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	14	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	8	3	breeding pairs	38	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1900	Durankulak Lake	National Monument	10
1980	Ezero Durankulak	Zashtitena Mestnost	13
1984	Durankulak Lake	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	10
2002	Balchik	State Game Husbandries	71
2003	Ezero Durankulak	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	64
2007	Durankulashko ezero	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves	69
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Humid grasslands, Mesophile grasslands	5
Shrubland	Scrub	4
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Neritic		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	75
agriculture	74
nature conservation and research	22
water management	20

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Durankulak Lake (Bulgaria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/durankulak-lake-iba-bulgaria on 23/11/2024.