Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large freshwater lake shared with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (site 005); its total area is 34,800 ha. The lake has deep waters and stony shores with no reedbeds or other emergent vegetation. On the Albanian side all the surrounding area is cultivated, mainly with corn and wheat. The lake is used for many purposes, of which fisheries are the most important.
This is an important site for wintering waterfowl, the most numerous species being
Fulica atra. Counts were carried out in 1995 and 1996 (numbers given refer to waterfowl numbers for the Albanian part of the lake only); 31,000 individuals (19 species) in 1995, 46,000 individuals (17 species) in January 1996 and 28,018 individuals (17 species) in 1997.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The shores of Lake Ohrid are degraded, mainly as a result of cattle-grazing and the close proximity of a road. These factors mean that breeding possibilities for waterbirds are minimal along the whole shore. The lake is a proposed World Heritage Site. With an age of 2-4 million years, this is one of the most ancient lakes in the world, harbouring many endemic species among its aquatic fauna.
National High
International None9,700 ha of IBA covered by Protected Landscape Area.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Ohrid and surrounding area (Albania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-ohrid-and-surrounding-area-iba-albania on 23/12/2024.
