Burgasko Lake (399)
Bulgaria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1b, A1c, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2005
National site name: Burgasko ezero
Central coordinates: Latitude: 42.4995, Longitude: 27.3883
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 2 to 19
Area of KBA (km2): 30.92015
Protected area coverage (%): 99.51
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A shallow, brackish, coastal lake just to the west of, and bordering, the town of Burgas, and connected to the Black Sea by a canal with a sluice. Reedbeds of Phragmites and Typha fringe most of the shoreline, where salt-tolerant vegetation is dominated by Puccinellia.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The complex is important for wintering and migrating waterbirds, especially for wildfowl such as geese (Anser albifrons and the globally threatened Branta ruficollis) and ducks (e.g. Aythya spp. and the globally threatened Oxyura leucocephala). Pelicans Pelecanus also rest here in notable numbers. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Pelecanus crispus (max. 10 in winter and on passage), Aythya nyroca (breeding).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (80%) | hunting (50%) | urban/industrial/transport (50%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The IBA and surroundings suffer from high levels of industrial and chemical pollution, and the continued construction of industrial and residential districts also poses a threat. The lake is monitored by BSPB under the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme.