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The site was identified as important in 2011 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Marbled Duck 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	passage	1997	100-400 individuals	A1, C1, C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	winter	2009	11-24 individuals	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	breeding	2007-2009	2,290-2,292 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	non-breeding	1999-2007	62-6,267 individuals	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

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2011) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	4	1	breeding pairs	25	very unfavourable
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	41	37	adults	91	favourable
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	9,450	1,705	individuals	19	very unfavourable
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	10,985	4,828	individuals	44	unfavourable
Ixobrychus minutus	108	50	breeding pairs	47	unfavourable
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	156	49	breeding pairs	32	very unfavourable
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	208	434	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	2,312	872	individuals	38	very unfavourable
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	3,540	1,083	adults	31	very unfavourable
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	51	76	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Egretta garzetta	2,215	909	adults	42	unfavourable
Egretta garzetta	5,448	5,244	individuals	97	favourable
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	4,280	772	individuals	19	very unfavourable
Himantopus himantopus	695	548	breeding pairs	79	near favourable
Charadrius alexandrinus	74	39	individuals	53	unfavourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	168	273	individuals	100	favourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	470	223	individuals	48	unfavourable
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	131	45	breeding pairs	35	very unfavourable
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	224	14	breeding pairs	7	very unfavourable
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	1,081	936	adults	87	near favourable
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus	43,877	27,827	individuals	64	unfavourable
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	275	0	adults	0	very unfavourable
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	24	4	individuals	17	very unfavourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	223	56	breeding pairs	26	very unfavourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	2,292	403	breeding pairs	18	very unfavourable
Sterna nilotica	1,031	469	breeding pairs	46	unfavourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	279	54	individuals	20	very unfavourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	2,583	857	adults	34	very unfavourable
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	161	140	individuals	87	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Pollution	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other 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

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1986	Albufera de Valencia	Nature Park	58
1989	Albufera de Valencia	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	58
1993	L`Albufera	Parque Natural	57
2000	l'Albufera (ZEPA)	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	58
2011	Parque Natural de l`Albufera	Zonas Húmedas	56
2013	L'Albufera	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	70

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	73
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Forest		-
Marine Intertidal		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	72
hunting	60
nature conservation and research	25
fisheries/aquaculture	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Albufera de Valencia marshes (Spain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/albufera-de-valencia-marshes-iba-spain on 23/11/2024.