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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2000

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Pin-tailed Sandgrouse Pterocles alchata	LC	breeding	1996	150-170 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	winter	1996	1,600 individuals	A1, C1
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	breeding	1996	450-500 breeding pairs	A1, B2, C1, C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1991	10-50 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	breeding	1991	300 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Little Owl Athene noctua	LC	breeding	1991	100 breeding pairs	B2
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	1991	10 breeding pairs	C6
Milvus migrans	NR	breeding	1991	50 breeding pairs	C6
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	1991	70 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	1996	42-50 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra	LC	breeding	1996	10-30 breeding pairs	C6
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla	LC	breeding	1991	1,000 breeding pairs	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

Protection status:

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Poitevine-Regarde-Venir	Réserve naturelle régionale	221	protected area contained by site	0
Mare de lanau	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	24	protected area contained by site	0
Marais entre Crau et Grand Rhône	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	7,234	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Marais de la vallée des Baux et marais d'Arles	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	11,061	protected area overlaps with site	626
MARAIS DE L’ILON	Land acquired by Conservatoire du Littoral (national seaside and lakeside conservancy)	176	protected area overlaps with site	0
Les Coussouls de Crau	Nature Reserve	7,411	protected area contained by site	7,411
Les Alpilles	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	27,006	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Les Alpilles	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	17,334	protected area is adjacent to site	0
La Poitevine	Private Reserve	146	protected area contained by site	146
LA CRAU	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	1,270	protected area overlaps with site	0
L'Ilon	Réserve naturelle régionale	176	protected area overlaps with site	0
FR248	Nature Reserve	140	protected area contained by site	140
Crau centrale - Crau sèche	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	31,538	protected area overlaps with site	25,253
Crau	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	39,333	protected area overlaps with site	39,333
Coussouls de Crau	Réserve naturelle nationale	7,411	protected area overlaps with site	0
Camargue	Parc naturel régional	99,931	protected area overlaps with site	0
Alpilles	Parc naturel régional	51,059	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Humid grasslands	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
hunting	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Crau. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 06/05/2021.