Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Geziret Garah is a small, sandstone island lying 12 km offshore in the Gulf of Sirt (Surt, Sirte), some 20 km west-south-west of the town of Azzuwaytinah (Zuwaytinah). It measures some 150 x 300 m. On the northern, western and eastern sides there are low cliffs resulting from wave erosion. The southern side is more sheltered and slopes gradually to the sea, with some small sandy beaches. The island is sparsely vegetated with low, scattered bushes.
See Box for key species. The colony of
Sterna bengalensis on the island represents 95% of the breeding population of the species in the Mediterranean. The only other species that breeds on the island is
Larus cachinnans.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The fishing areas for terns from the colony appear to lie not only in the waters immediately surrounding the island, but also in areas at some distance from it. Protection of the island and the seas adjacent to it may not, therefore, be sufficient to ensure the protection of the colony. The island lies within sight of a large oil-processing plant which presents a serious potential risk of pollution. There is no evidence of direct human disturbance on the island.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Geziret Garah (Libya). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/geziret-garah-iba-libya on 23/11/2024.
