• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2011

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	winter	2008	20,000-40,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	winter	2006	min 2,000 individuals	A1, C1
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	resident	2005	min 1,700 individuals	A1, B2, C1, C2
Great Bustard Otis tarda	VU	resident	2008	250-300 individuals	A1, B2, C1, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	passage	2011	min 150 individuals	B1i, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	winter	2011	min 25 individuals	B1i, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	breeding	2008	4-5 breeding pairs	B1i, C2
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	resident	2008	400-500 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Egretta garzetta	NR	breeding	2011	min 135 breeding pairs	C6
Himantopus himantopus	NR	breeding	2007	min 200 breeding pairs	C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2010	903-12,820 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C3
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	non-breeding	2005	min 800 individuals	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	2010	min 275 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	winter	2010	244-10,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Sterna nilotica	NR	breeding	2011	max 1,100 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus	LC	resident	2008	22-25 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti	VU	non-breeding	2009	min 10 individuals	A1, C1
Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata	LC	resident	2009	min 7 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	2009	min 60 breeding pairs	B3, C2, C6
Red Kite Milvus milvus	NT	winter	2008	200-300 individuals	A1, C1
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	2008	min 25 breeding pairs	A1, C1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	2002	209-245 breeding pairs	B1iii, B2, C2, C6

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - scale unknown/unrecorded	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	drought	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Energy production and mining	renewable energy	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - type unknown/unrecorded	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Condition of habitat (state)
Habitat	Habitat Detail	Reference Area (ha)	Actual Area (ha)	% of habitat remaining	% of carrying capacity (overall)	Result
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		0	0	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protection status:

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Vegas del Ruecas, Cubilar y Moheda Alta	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	44	protected area contained by site	14,213
Río Guadiana Alto - Zujar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3,081	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Refugio del Alto de San Blas	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5	protected area contained by site	5
Llanos de Zorita y Embalse de Sierra Brava	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	285	protected area overlaps with site	16,734
La Serena y Sierras Periféricas	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	24,135	protected area is adjacent to site	0
La Serena	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	148,159	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Embalse de Orellana y Sierra de Pela	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	8,410	protected area contained by site	42,610
Embalse de Orellana	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	5,500	protected area contained by site	5,500
Dehesas del Ruecas y Cubilar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	7,443	protected area contained by site	6,882
Colonias de Cernícalo Primilla de Acedera	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	36,463	protected area contained by site	1
Arrozales de Palazuelo y Guadalperales	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	15,877	protected area overlaps with site	5,239

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved evergreen woodland	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry plantations	-
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
hunting	-
water management	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2020) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Pela mountain range-Orellana reservoir-Zorita. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/02/2020.