Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large freshwater lake in north-east Albania (also known as Lake Scutari), on the border with Yugoslavia (Montenegro). Oligotrophic and generally shallow except for a few very deep parts. Approximately one third of the lake lies within Albania, the remainder lies in Montenegro (Skadarsko Jezero, site 038). The main human activities are fisheries, extensive agriculture, hunting and tourism. Fisheries are the most important activity and in places are very intensive.
This is an important site for wintering waterfowl, especially
Phalacrocorax pygmeus and
Phalacrocorax carbo. Several wintering waterfowl counts have been carried out; about 13,000 wintering waterfowl were counted in January 1995 and 1996, and 30,682 waterbirds (representing 26 species) were counted during 2-19 January 1997. Wetlands International have carried out earlier counts on the Montenegro side of the lake.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats are land claim for agricultural purposes, and hunting. The lake shores in the Albanian sector have been heavily claimed and have lost most of their original natural value, now being used intensively for agriculture, mainly cattle-grazing, which is also a cause of disturbance. Hunting is also a serious problem with 150 shooting hides recorded along 3 km of shoreline in 1993, and the number increased in 1995 and 1996.
National None
International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Shkodra (Lake Scadar) (Albania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-shkodra-(lake-scadar)-iba-albania on 23/12/2024.
