ME030
Skadar Lake This is an IBA in Danger! 


Country/territory: Montenegro

IBA criteria met: A1, A4, B1a, B1b, B2a, B3a, B3b, C1, C2, C3, C4, C6 (2023)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 40,000 ha

Centre for Protection and Research of Birds of Montenegro - CZIP
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2019 favourable very high medium
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2000 baseline)
A large lake (also known as Lake Scutari) shared with Albania (Albanian site 001), situated near the town of Podgorica, with wetlands on the northern side; several rivers supply the lake.

Key biodiversity
This is a very important site for breeding, wintering and passage waterbirds, holding more than 20,000 individuals throughout the year. Numbers in winter range from 150,846 to 223,792, and in November numbers on passage regularly average 250,000. Breeding landbirds include six of the 21 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Mediterranean biome.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Skadar Lake (Montenegro). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/skadar-lake-iba-montenegro on 22/11/2024.