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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2011

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	breeding	2009	1-4 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	winter	2009	1,401-9,450 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	winter	2009	1,128-10,985 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus	CR	winter	1999-2007	max 615 individuals	A1, A4ii, B1ii, C1, C2
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	2009	82-108 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	2009	117-156 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	2009	137-208 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	LC	resident	2009	1,556-3,540 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	2009	18-51 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	resident	2009	1,286-2,215 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter	2009	2,917-5,448 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	2009	2,681-4,280 individuals	B1i, C3
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2009	390-695 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident	2009	60-74 breeding pairs	B2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2009	81-168 individuals	A1, C1
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	breeding	2006-2009	72-224 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	LC	resident	2009	530-1,081 breeding pairs	B1i, C3
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	LC	winter	2009	20,902-43,877 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	winter	2009	11-24 individuals	C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	passage	1997	100-400 individuals	A1, C1, C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	resident	2008-2009	140-275 breeding pairs	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2007-2009	177-223 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	non-breeding	1999-2007	62-6,267 individuals	B1i, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2007-2009	2,290-2,292 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	2009	634-1,031 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	winter	2009	120-279 individuals	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	resident	2007-2009	2,000-2,583 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1996	4,900-6,900 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1997	14,000-100,000 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
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - agro-industry farming	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - persecution/control	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	drought	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - named species	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - herbicides and pesticides	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Transportation and service corridors	roads and railroads	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Marmaronetta angustirostris	Marbled Teal	4	1	breeding pairs	25	very unfavourable
Netta rufina	Red-crested Pochard	9450	1705	individuals	19	very unfavourable
Netta rufina	Red-crested Pochard	41	37	adults	91	favourable
Spatula clypeata	Northern Shoveler	10985	4828	individuals	44	unfavourable
Ixobrychus minutus		108	50	breeding pairs	47	unfavourable
Nycticorax nycticorax	Black-crowned Night-heron	156	49	breeding pairs	32	very unfavourable
Ardeola ralloides	Squacco Heron	208	434	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Bubulcus ibis	Cattle Egret	2312	872	individuals	38	very unfavourable
Bubulcus ibis	Cattle Egret	3540	1083	adults	31	very unfavourable
Ardea purpurea	Purple Heron	51	76	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Egretta garzetta		2215	909	adults	42	unfavourable
Egretta garzetta		5448	5244	individuals	97	favourable
Phalacrocorax carbo	Great Cormorant	4280	772	individuals	19	very unfavourable
Himantopus himantopus		695	548	breeding pairs	79	near favourable
Charadrius alexandrinus		74	39	individuals	53	unfavourable
Limosa limosa	Black-tailed Godwit	168	273	individuals	100	favourable
Calidris alpina	Dunlin	470	223	individuals	48	unfavourable
Glareola pratincola	Collared Pratincole	131	45	breeding pairs	35	very unfavourable
Larus genei	Slender-billed Gull	224	14	breeding pairs	7	very unfavourable
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull	1081	936	adults	87	near favourable
Larus ridibundus	Black-headed Gull	43877	27827	individuals	64	unfavourable
Larus audouinii	Audouin's Gull	275	0	adults	0	very unfavourable
Larus audouinii	Audouin's Gull	24	4	individuals	17	very unfavourable
Sternula albifrons	Little Tern	223	56	breeding pairs	26	very unfavourable
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	2292	403	breeding pairs	18	very unfavourable
Sterna nilotica		1031	469	breeding pairs	46	unfavourable
Thalasseus sandvicensis	Sandwich Tern	279	54	individuals	20	very unfavourable
Thalasseus sandvicensis	Sandwich Tern	2583	857	adults	34	very unfavourable
Circus aeruginosus	Western Marsh-harrier	161	140	individuals	87	near favourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	high

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Parque Natural de l`Albufera	Zonas Húmedas	21,008	protected area overlaps with site	0
l'Albufera (ZEPA)	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	29,286	protected area overlaps with site	21,120
L'Albufera	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	27,538	protected area overlaps with site	0
L`Albufera	Parque Natural	21,039	protected area overlaps with site	0
Albufera de Valencia	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	21,000	protected area overlaps with site	21,000
Albufera de Valencia	Nature Park	21,000	protected area contained by site	21,120

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest		-
Wetlands (inland)	Water fringe vegetation	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	-
Coastline	Sand dunes & beaches, Lagoons	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Albufera de Valencia marshes. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/03/2023.