Kamchia Complex (410)
Bulgaria, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2005
National site name: Complex Kamchia
Central coordinates: Latitude: 43.0013, Longitude: 27.8167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 146
Area of KBA (km2): 100.74664
Protected area coverage (%): 99.78
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The lower reaches and estuary of the Kamchia river, with remnant riverine forests, small freshwater marshes of Phragmites and Typha along the riverbank, arable land (the former Staro-Oryachovo marshes), a beach with sand-dunes, and a sea bay. The forests are dominated by Fraxinus, Ulmus, Quercus, Acer and Alnus, with scrub of Crataegus, Cornus, Paliurus and Ligustrum, and lianas of Clematis, Smilax and Periploca.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: The site is important for wintering Cygnus cygnus and is the most important breeding area in Bulgaria for Dendrocopos medius and Ficedula semitorquata. The locality is also a major migratory bottleneck site, where 60,000 or more Ciconia ciconia pass overhead each autumn.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (34%) | forestry (40%) | nature conservation and research (50%) | tourism/recreation (5%) | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 6 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 6 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 36 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 6 | |
| Shrubland | 1 | |
| Marine Neritic | 4 | |
| Forest | 40 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The water regime has been altered following the construction of embankments (along the riverside) and of reservoirs (six; throughout the catchment), and the periphery of the dense forest is gradually drying out. Part (30 ha) of the Protected Landscape was afforested with Pinus. A management plan has been prepared for Kamchia Biosphere Reserve by the Ministry of Environment under the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme.