Data Zone
Country/territory: Bulgaria
IBA criteria met: A1, A4iv, B1iv, B2, C1, C2, C5, C6 (2005)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 10,076 hectares (100.76 km2)
Site description (2000 baseline)
The lower reaches and estuary of the Kamchia river, with remnant riverine forests, small freshwater marshes of Phragmites and Typha along the riverbank, arable land (the former Staro-Oryachovo marshes), a beach with sand-dunes, and a sea bay. The forests are dominated by Fraxinus, Ulmus, Quercus, Acer and Alnus, with scrub of Crataegus, Cornus, Paliurus and Ligustrum, and lianas of Clematis, Smilax and Periploca.
Key biodiversity
The site is important for wintering Cygnus cygnus and is the most important breeding area in Bulgaria for Dendrocopos medius and Ficedula semitorquata. The locality is also a major migratory bottleneck site, where 60,000 or more Ciconia ciconia pass overhead each autumn.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kamchia Complex (Bulgaria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kamchia-complex-iba-bulgaria on 23/12/2024.