Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Kerkini is a freshwater reservoir with reedbeds (
Phragmites), some wet forest, and arable land.
A very important area for breeding, passage and wintering waterbirds and raptors and breeding and migratory passerines. The site is valuable as a foraging area for raptors nesting elsewhere. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Haliaeetus albicilla (non-breeding, 2-4 wintering individuals),
Aquila heliaca (1-3 wintering individuals),
Falco naumanni (passage),
Gallinago media (wintering).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The major threat is alteration of the dyke system to raise water-levels. Illegal land-reclamation, road construction, rubbish tipping (`Other' threats) and fishing are also threats. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
National None
International High10,996 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Kerkini reservoir, 10,996 ha). 10,995 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Techniti Limni Kerkinis, 10,995 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Kerkini (Greece). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-kerkini-iba-greece on 22/12/2024.
