Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A lake surrounded by wet meadows, woodland, hedges, grassland and arable land. Human activities include agriculture, forestry, cattle-raising, hunting and recreation (including sailing).
This is an important site for migrating and wintering waterbirds and the most important wintering site for
Grus grus in France. The site holds 20,000 or more waterbirds on passage and in winter, on a regular basis (including
Podiceps cristatus, 4,000 (passage);
Anser fabalis 2,000 (passage);
Anas crecca 3,000 (passage), 3,309 (winter);
Anas platyrhynchos 10,000 (passage);
Aythya ferina 2,500 (passage);
Larus ridibundus 21,000 (wintering)). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Branta ruficollis (passage);
Aythya nyroca (passage);
Oxyura leucocephala (passage);
Haliaeetus albicilla (1-3 passage, 3-5 wintering individuals).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site is threatened by the creation of an artificial beach and access road, together with the development of tourist facilities and the use of powered hang-gliders.
National High
International High2,500 ha of IBA covered by Hunting Reserve (Lac Seine, 2,500 ha). 35,800 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Etangs de Champagne humide, 135,000 ha). 2,500 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Lac de la forêt d'Orient, 2,500 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lacs de la Forêt d'Orient (France). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lacs-de-la-forêt-dorient-iba-france on 22/11/2024.
