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Special Protection Area (SPA)Λίμνη Πικρολίμνη - Ξυλοκερατιά

Limni Pikrolimni - Xilokeratea

Limni Pikrolimni - Xilokeratea (GR1230004) is a Special Protection Area (SPA) in the Natura 2000 network, 1,954 hectares (20 km²). It lies in the municipalities of Kilkis and Oreokastro (regional units Kilkis and Thessaloniki, Central Macedonia). According to the European Environment Agency's database (2024 release) it protects 44 species (birds).

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What it protects

Source: the European Environment Agency's Natura 2000 database, 2024 release, as reported by the member state. Habitat types are shown with their Annex I code and the EEA's English name. Common names of species come from Wikidata where they exist, otherwise the scientific name is shown.

The EEA records no habitat types for this site; it is protected for species.

Birds (44)

Anser albifrons albifrons, Baillon's Crake (Zapornia pusilla), Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus), Black-necked Grebe (Podiceps nigricollis), Black-winged Stilt (Himantopus himantopus), Buzzard (Buteo buteo), Common Tern (Sterna hirundo), Coot (Fulica atra), Cormorant (continental subspecies) (Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis), Dunlin (Calidris alpina), Great Crested Grebe (Podiceps cristatus), Greater Flamingo (Phoenicopterus roseus), Greenshank (Tringa nebularia), Grey Heron (Ardea cinerea), Hen Harrier (Circus cyaneus), Honey Buzzard (Pernis apivorus), Lesser Grey Shrike (Lanius minor), Little Bittern (Ixobrychus minutus), Little Egret (Egretta garzetta), Little Stint (Calidris minuta), Little Tern (Sternula albifrons), Mallard (Anas platyrhynchos), Merlin (Falco columbarius), Numenius arquata arquata, Pintail (Anas acuta), Pochard (Aythya ferina), Quail (Coturnix coturnix), Ruff (Calidris pugnax), Sand Martin (Riparia riparia), Short-toed Eagle (Circaetus gallicus), Short-toed Lark (Calandrella brachydactyla), Shoveler (Spatula clypeata), Snipe (Gallinago gallinago), Spanish Sparrow (Passer hispaniolensis), Stone Curlew (Burhinus oedicnemus), Swallow (Hirundo rustica), Swift (Apus apus), Tawny Pipit (Anthus campestris), Teal (Anas crecca), Turtle Dove (Streptopelia turtur), White-winged Black Tern (Chlidonias leucopterus), Wigeon (Mareca penelope), Wood Sandpiper (Tringa glareola), Yellow Wagtail (Motacilla flava)

Designation

It is protected as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for the bird species of Annex I of the Birds Directive (2009/147/EC) and for the migratory species that use it.

Network codes
CodeTypeAreaDesignated (EEA)Name in the EEA register
GR1230004Special Protection Area (SPA)1,954 haOct. 2001LIMNI PIKROLIMNI - XILOKERATEA

Legal basis: Birds Directive (2009/147/EC). The register name is the one the EEA publishes.

Works and permits in the site

Works and plans that could significantly affect a Natura 2000 site need an appropriate assessment of their effects under Article 6(3) of the Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC). In Greece this is the Special Ecological Assessment (Ειδική Οικολογική Αξιολόγηση, ΕΟΑ) under law 4014/2011. The Natural Environment and Climate Change Agency (ΟΦΥΠΕΚΑ) is responsible for managing Natura 2000 sites, through the protected-area management bodies.

This page is not legal advice and does not say what is allowed on a particular property. Each site's rules are set in the official texts; for a property or a project, ask the competent authority. Natura 2000 at the European Commission.

How the numbers were counted

The boundary is the Ministry's (YPEN geoportal). The code, name, area, date of designation, habitat types and species are from the EEA's Natura 2000 database (2024 release, fetched 8 Oct 2026). Habitat cover is what the member state reports; where the EEA gives an "unknown" value (9999) or one larger than the site, it is not shown. The EEA gives the marine part only as yes or no, not as a share, and we do not use the "quality and importance" text of the data form. The EEA data is licensed CC BY 4.0 (copyright holder: the European Commission's Directorate-General for Environment). The Greek and English names of sites and species, and the Wikipedia article titles, are Wikidata's (CC0).

Municipalities come from sample points inside the boundary: one is named when it holds at least 5% of the points that fall on land. For a purely marine site the nearest coastal municipality (within 60 km) is named. The settlements, beaches and sights are those that have a page on this site; municipal boundaries and island outlines are from OpenStreetMap.

Places nearby

Pages of this site, in a straight line and on the same side of the water, nearest first.

Nearest airport

Nearest ferry port

See also

Sources

Every figure on this page comes from the sources below, with the date each was updated.

Page updated .