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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
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	resident	2009	2-15 breeding pairs	A1, B1i, B2, C1, C2
Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	breeding	2009	1-27 breeding pairs	A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	winter	2009	max 511 individuals	B1i, C3
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter	2009	39-1,336 individuals	B1i, C2
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	non-breeding	2009	301-1,320 individuals	B1i, C2
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	2009	40-150 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	2009	20-63 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	2009	2-40 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	2009	max 674 individuals	B1i, C2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	resident	2009	137-820 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident	2009	12-230 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2008	max 279 individuals	A1, C1
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	resident	2004-2009	153-247 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	resident	2005-2009	35 breeding pairs	A1, C1
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2007-2009	229-572 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	breeding	2009	50-185 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2007-2009	130-362 breeding pairs	C6

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)
Salines de Santa Pola (ZEPA)	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2,512	protected area overlaps with site	0
Salines de Santa Pola	Parque Natural	2,492	protected area overlaps with site	0
Salinas de Santa Pola	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	2,496	protected area overlaps with site	2,496
Salinas de Santa Pola	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2,504	protected area overlaps with site	2,496
Salinas de Santa Pola	Nature Park	2,500	protected area contained by site	2,496
Parque Natural de las Salinas de Santa Pola	Zonas Húmedas	2,491	protected area overlaps with site	0
Illa de Tabarca	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	43	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Espacio marino de Tabarca	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	14,262	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Espacio marino de Tabarca	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	14,262	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Dunes de Guardamar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	726	protected area is adjacent to site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Coastline	Sand dunes & beaches, Salt marshes	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Standing brackish and salt water, Water fringe vegetation	-
Marine Intertidal		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Santa Pola salt-pans. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/03/2023.