Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Merja Bargha is a shallow (1.5 m) freshwater pond situated in an inter-dunal depression 15 km north-east of the Atlantic coastal resort of Moulay Bou Selham. The pond itself is 600 m long and 400 m wide, and covers approximately 10 ha. The boundaries of the IBA encompass some of the surrounding vegetation, giving the site a total area of 25 ha. The pond is fed mainly by several seepage springs at its southern end and by run-off from the surrounding irrigated fields. In addition, a formerly dry spring, Sidi Slimane, at the north-east of the site, has recently become active again and its outflow is increasing from year to year. The bordering vegetation consists principally of
Typha,
Juncus and
Phragmites spp. whilst
Nymphaea alba has recently colonized the shallow water areas. Around the pond is an expanse of
Cynodon and
Carex spp. and near the southern end there are plantations of
Eucalyptus,
Populus and
Acacia spp. The surrounding land is intensively cultivated by the inhabitants of the neighbouring village of Bargha, who grow sugar-cane, ground-nuts and other crops. Livestock is also grazed around the pond.
See Box for key species. About 60 species have been recorded at Merja Bargha, of which 30 occur regularly. Approximately 2,500–5,500 coots (
Fulica atra and
F. cristata) and 1,000 duck regularly overwinter, among them small numbers of two species of global conservation concern,
Marmaronetta angustirostris and
Aythya nyroca. The former breeds, as does
F. cristata.
Oxyura leucocephala was recorded until 1997. The site is also well-known as a location for
Porphyrio porphyrio.
Non-bird biodiversity: Pelobates varaldii, an endemic Moroccan amphibian, is believed to breed at the site.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Merja Bargha is public land, currently used as a waterfowl Hunting Block or ‘amodiation de chasse de gibier d’eau’. It is classed as a priority 2 SIBE (No. L14). The site is threatened by poaching, the cutting of vegetation around its borders, pollution and over-exploitation for irrigation purposes. Since 1992, the invasive North American duck
Oxyura jamaicensis has become established at the site and nearby Merja Halloufa, and threatens to hybridize with
Oxyura leucocephala. Necessary conservation measures include an integrated management plan involving environmental education amongst the surrounding population, the development of ecotourism to provide economic incentives for conservation (the site is close to Merja Zerga, site MA010, and could benefit from tourists attracted to its larger neighbour), the imposition of a hunting ban, eradication of
Oxyura jamaicensis and the protection of the vegetation.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Merja Bargha (Morocco). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/merja-bargha-iba-morocco on 23/11/2024.
