Oued Tahadart (6480)
Morocco, Africa
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: Oued Tahadart
Central coordinates: Latitude: 35.5667, Longitude: -6.0000
System: freshwater, marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 50
Area of KBA (km2): 222.51956
Protected area coverage (%): 45.14
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The site consists of the lower reaches of the Oued M’harhar and Oued Al Hachef, which join to form the 3-km-long estuarine river of the Oued Tahadart, the surrounding land and a sandy stretch of the coast between Tanger (Tangiers) and Asilah. Habitats include marshy basins, coastal mudflats, many small freshwater and brackish merjas and dayas, areas of rough pasture and some patches of cork-oak woodland.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas) KBA identified by the 2010 CEPF Mediterranean Ecosystem Profile process. Taxonomy and nomenclature follow the 2008 IUCN Red List.
Additional biodiversity: See Box for key species. The site harbours one of the few populations of Otis tarda in Morocco—the only country in North Africa where this species occurs. Precise data on population size are not available, but 35 individuals were seen at Tahadart and 55 in Al Hachef–Charkane during surveys in 1998, and evidence of breeding was observed (courtship displays, nests). Thousands of migrant waders, gulls and waterfowl pass through Oued Tahaddart, particularly in winters with heavy rainfall when much of the site is inundated. Up to 600 Grus grus and hundreds of Phoenicopterus ruber and Platalea leucorodia have been recorded, but none of these species is known to have exceeded IBA threshold criteria. Numenius tenuirostris formerly occurred as a wintering visitor. Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | hunting | urban/industrial/transport
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The site is currently unprotected, but is a priority 2 SIBE (No. L11). Land-ownership is mainly public, but private holdings are present around the periphery. Human activities include cultivation, pastoralism, fishing and hunting. A major conservation threat is the effects of dykes built to support roads, which have altered the drainage system of the area—for example isolating the merja of Wlad Khallouf from the rest of the estuarine system. Powerlines traversing the area and a radio-station (Voice of America) located within it, consisting of many vertical antennae and supporting wire struts, pose a threat to the population of Otis tarda: many are reported to have died through collision with wires and powerlines. Recommended conservation measures include the creation and implementation of a management plan for the area, establishment of no-hunting zones to protect Otis tarda and fixing of visible deterrents such as spheres to powerlines and cables.
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Scale Unknown/Unrecorded | Ongoing |
| Natural system modifications | Dams & water management/use | Abstraction of surface water (agricultural use) | Ongoing |
| Human intrusions & disturbance | Work & other activities | Ongoing | |
| Transportation & service corridors | Roads & railroads | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Commercial & industrial areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Housing & urban areas | Ongoing | |
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |
Additional information
References: BCEOM-SECA (1995c), Hellmich et al. (1999).