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The site was identified as important in 2005 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
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix	LC	breeding	2004	254-2,190 breeding pairs	B2
Rock Partridge Alectoris graeca	NT	resident	2005	70-90 breeding pairs	B2
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	LC	resident	2004	72-266 males	C6
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	breeding	2004	290-335 breeding pairs	C6
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding	2004	280-290 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Little Owl Athene noctua	LC	resident	2004	37-130 breeding pairs	B2
Boreal Owl Aegolius funereus	LC	resident	2004	20-30 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo	LC	resident	2004	8 breeding pairs	C6
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus	LC	breeding	2004	12 breeding pairs	C6
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	resident	2004	1-3 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos	LC	resident	2004	7-8 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Levant Sparrowhawk Accipiter brevipes	LC	breeding	2005	4-6 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla	LC	breeding	2004	29-153 breeding pairs	B2
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius	LC	resident	2004	80-100 breeding pairs	C6
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius	LC	resident	2004	280-2,700 breeding pairs	B3, C6
Syrian Woodpecker Dendrocopos syriacus	LC	resident	2005	400-700 breeding pairs	B3, C6
White-backed Woodpecker Dendrocopos leucotos	LC	resident	2004	40 breeding pairs	C6
Common Kestrel Falco tinnunculus	LC	resident	2004	37-60 breeding pairs	B2
Saker Falcon Falco cherrug	EN	resident	2004	2 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	LC	breeding	2005	10 breeding pairs	C6
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio	LC	breeding	2004	6,000-8,000 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor	LC	breeding	1996	140-190 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus	LC	resident	2004	32 breeding pairs	A3
Woodlark Lullula arborea	LC	resident	2004	3,650-11,000 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria	LC	resident	2005	2-5 breeding pairs	A3
Eurasian Blackbird Turdus merula	LC	resident	2004	7,945-25,200 breeding pairs	B3
Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata	LC	breeding	2005	400-600 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva	LC	breeding	2000	60-80 breeding pairs	C6
Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris	LC	breeding	2004	12-25 breeding pairs	A3
European Greenfinch Chloris chloris	LC	resident	2004	820-5,800 breeding pairs	B3
Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana	LC	breeding	2004	1,100-1,400 breeding pairs	B2, C6

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2005).

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Zapadna Stara planina i Predbalkan	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	219,753	protected area overlaps with site	134,643
Zapaden Balkan	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	146,832	is identical to site	146,820
Vrachanski Balkan	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	35,981	protected area overlaps with site	0
Vrachanski balkan	Priroden Park	30,130	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Vodopad Durshin	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	0	protected area contained by site	0
Vodnia skok	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	0	protected area contained by site	0
Venetza	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Usketo	Zashtitena Mestnost	2	protected area contained by site	0
Uruchnik	Zashtitena Mestnost	51	protected area contained by site	0
Tchuprene	Reserve	1,440	protected area contained by site	1,440
Tchuprene	Buffer Zone	542	protected area contained by site	542
Sto ovtsi	Zashtitena Mestnost	290	protected area contained by site	0
Shabovitsa	Zashtitena Mestnost	7	protected area contained by site	0
Samarite	Zashtitena Mestnost	107	protected area contained by site	0
Réserve Tchoupréné	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	1,982	protected area contained by site	1,440
Peshteri Levi I Desni suhi pech	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	0	protected area contained by site	0
Mishin kamak	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Midzhur	Zashtitena Mestnost	159	protected area contained by site	0
Koritata	Zashtitena Mestnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Kopren	Zashtitena Mestnost	536	protected area contained by site	0
Haydushki vodopadi	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Gornata Koria	Rezervat	161	protected area contained by site	0
Gardata	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Chuprenski buki	Zashtitena Mestnost	553	protected area contained by site	0
Chuprene	Rezervat	1,452	protected area contained by site	0
Boroviat kamak	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Bialata voda	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	1	protected area contained by site	0
Belogradchishki skali	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	652	protected area contained by site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland	-
Shrubland	Scrub	-
Grassland	Dry siliceous grassland	-

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

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
not utilised	-
agriculture	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Western Balkan. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/western-balkan-iba-bulgaria on 26/09/2023.