Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
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.
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.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Large quantities of chemicals are thought to have entered the lake several years ago, with devastating consequences for fish and birds (`Other' threat). Many bird species are thought to have suffered large declines as a result. Additional threats include fishing and poaching.
National High
International Partial40,000 ha of IBA covered by National Park (Skadarsko Jezero, 40,000 ha). 20,000 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Skadarsko Jezero, 20,000 ha).
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 23/12/2024.
