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

The site was identified as important in 2008 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Straight-billed Reedhaunter Limnoctites rectirostris	NT	resident	1966-2005	90 individuals	A1, A2
Sulphur-throated Spinetail Cranioleuca sulphurifera	LC	resident	1966-2005	present	A3
Black-and-white Monjita Xolmis dominicanus	VU	resident	1966-2004	200 individuals	A1
Saffron-cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus	EN	resident	1996-2008	130 individuals	A1
Chestnut Seedeater Sporophila cinnamomea	VU	breeding	2006	present	A1, A2, A3
Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris	EN	breeding	2005-2008	27 individuals	A1, A2, A3
Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris	EN	breeding	1999	2 individuals	A1, A2, A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	2007	48,900 individuals	A4iii

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2008).

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland		0	0	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - agro-industry farming	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - agro-industry grazing, ranching or farmin	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	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	medium

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
San Miguel	Parque Nacional	1,542	protected area overlaps with site	0
Laguna Merín	Other Area	314,000	protected area contains site	0
Humedales del Este	Other Area	260,000	protected area contained by site	0
Fuerte San Miguel	Historical Monument	1,553	protected area contained by site	1,553
El Potrerillo de Sta. Teresa	Flora and Fauna Reserve	715	protected area contained by site	715
El Potrerillo de Sta. Teresa	National Park	715	protected area contained by site	0
Cerro Verde	Área de manejo de hábitats y/o especies	8,968	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Bañados del Este y Franja Costera	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	1,245,750	protected area overlaps with site	0
Bañados del Este y Franja Costera	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	431,536	protected area overlaps with site	407,408
Bañados del Este	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	200,000	protected area contains site	0
Bañado de Los Indios	Designation Not Known	2,488	protected area contained by site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)	Freshwater marshes/swamps	-
Grassland	Campo grassland	-
Forest	Palm forest	-
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Rice paddies	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
rangeland/pastureland	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Eastern Wetlands. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/eastern-wetlands-iba-uruguay on 04/12/2023.