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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
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1997	15-20 breeding pairs	A1, C1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	passage	1998	280-550 individuals	A1, B1i, C1, C2
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter	1995	67 individuals	A1, C1
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	passage	1997	100-350 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus	LC	passage	1997	200-300 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Ixobrychus minutus	NR	breeding	1998	80-100 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	1997	50 breeding pairs	C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1992	10-15 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1997	15-20 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	1996	500-4,000 individuals	B1i, C3
Charadrius alexandrinus	NR	breeding	1997	13-18 breeding pairs	B2
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris	CR	passage	1997	1 individuals	A1, C1
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1997	50 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	LC	passage	1997	700 individuals	B1i, C2
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	passage	1997	100 individuals	C2
Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola	VU	passage	1997	2-3 individuals	A1, C1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1996	20,000 individuals	A4iii

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
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (unknown use)	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Natural system modifications	other ecosystem modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high

Condition of habitat (state)
Habitat	Habitat Detail	Reference Area (ha)	Actual Area (ha)	% of habitat remaining	% of carrying capacity (overall)	Result
Wetlands (inland)		500	150	-	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Aythya nyroca	Ferruginous Duck	25	5	breeding pairs	20	very unfavourable
Porphyrio porphyrio	Purple Swamphen	100	60	breeding pairs	60	unfavourable
Ixobrychus minutus		125	20	breeding pairs	16	very unfavourable
Ardea purpurea	Purple Heron	5	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Charadrius alexandrinus		10	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protection status:

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Tratto di Pietralunga del Fiume Simeto	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	748	protected area overlaps with site	171
Riserva naturale Oasi del Simeto	Regional/Provincial Nature Reserve	1,859	protected area overlaps with site	400
Foce del Fiume Simeto e Lago Gornalunga	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1,837	protected area overlaps with site	1,094
Biviere di Lentini, tratto mediano e foce del Fiume Simeto e area antistante la foce	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1,946	protected area overlaps with site	3,116

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	-
Coastline	Sand dunes & beaches, Salt marshes, Lagoons	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
hunting	-
water management	-
nature conservation and research	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Simeto mouth and middle course and Biviere di Lentini. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 16/01/2019.