A mountainous island forested in the centre with pine Pinus and oak Quercus. The western side of the island is dominated by maquis, the east by phrygana. There are a number of small coastal wetlands and artificial wetlands. Human activities include livestock-farming, angling, hunting, and tourism.
Key biodiversity
The site is important for breeding raptors and passage migrants. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla, Falco naumanni (3-5 breeding pairs).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The main threats are the grazing of livestock and the building of new roads. Hunting and tourism are limited. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
Protected areas
National None International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Ikaria island. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 28/06/2022.
