Hotspots

Bengahzi is a reserve situated 15 km north-east of the city of Benghazi. The site includes a lagoon and a stretch of coastal shoreline. The site is important for migratory water birds, particularly Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus ruber with over 1,000 non-breeding pairs in 1993 and a similar number of Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus. At least 60 pairs of Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus breed. There are a number of local conservation issues at this site including hunting.

Jabal al Akhdar The site includes Kouf National Park and lies 150 km north-east of Benghazi next to the town of Al Bayda. The main Benghazi - Tobruk road crosses the park which contains sandy beaches, lagoons, a limestone massif and wadis. Breeding species include Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni, Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos, Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara, Houbara Bustard Chlamydotis undulata and the lagoons are important for herons, ducks and waders as well as European White Stork Ciconia ciconia. This is also a key site for tourism.

Nefhusa (Jebel Nafusa) is a protected area some 70 km south-south-west of Tripoli. It includes 3 wadi systems with areas of natural vegetation. There have been no full surveys of this site but at least 46 species are known to occur including the following of the Medditerranean North Africa biome, Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara, Moussier’s Redstart Phoenicurus moussieri, Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura, Red-rumped Wheatear O.moesta, Black-eared Wheatear O.hispanica and Sardinian Warbler Sylvia melanocephala.

Ghat oases consist of a series of spring-fed lakes, pools and swamplands centred around the town of Ghat close to the Algerian border in the south-west of the country. It holds a number of species of the Sahara-Sindian biome Sooty Falcon Falco concolor, Spotted Sandgrouse Pterocles senegallus, Bar-tailed Desert Lark Ammomanes cincturus, Desert Lark A. desertii, White-crowned Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucopyga, Desert Sparrow Passer simplex and Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca. In addition, Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus and Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni have been recorded on passage.