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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2002

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	1992-2001	5-25 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C2, C6
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter	1992-2001	50-300 individuals	A1, C1, C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	1992-2001	2-6 breeding pairs	C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	winter	1992-2001	4-12 individuals	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	winter	1992-2001	30-100 individuals	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1992-2001	80-150 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1992-2001	100 breeding pairs	C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter	1992-2001	50-200 individuals	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	1992-2001	200-750 individuals	C6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	1992-2001	40-200 individuals	B2
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	winter	1992-2001	100-150 individuals	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	winter	1992-2001	10-200 individuals	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	winter	1992-2001	50-150 individuals	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1992-2001	27,000-48,000 individuals	A4iii, C4

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%)	very 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

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	Riserva naturale regionale/provinciale	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)	6,194	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	-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

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 (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Simeto mouth and middle course and Biviere di Lentini. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 06/02/2023.