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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
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	resident	1996	50-70 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1996	common	C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	2002	15 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	non-breeding	1996	common	C6
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	1996	1,000-2,200 individuals	B1i, C3
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1996	2,000-4,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	1996	200-800 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	1996	2,000-11,000 individuals	B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	LC	winter	1996	12,000-16,000 individuals	B1i, B2, C3
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1996	5-20 breeding pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1996	50-100 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	resident	1996	5-6 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1996	20,000 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

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Estuário do Sado	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	25,588	protected area overlaps with site	24,633
Estuário do Sado	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	24,633	protected area overlaps with site	24,312
Estuário do Sado	Reserva Natural	23,971	protected area overlaps with site	20,011
Estuário do Sado	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	30,968	protected area overlaps with site	23,346
Comporta / Galé	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	32,051	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Açude da Murta	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	498	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Mixed woodland, Broadleaved evergreen woodland	-
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry plantations, Other urban and industrial areas	-
Coastline	Sand dunes & beaches, Salt marshes, Mud flats & sand flats, Lagoons, Tidal rivers & enclosed tidal waters	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
forestry	-
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Sado estuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 12/08/2022.