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The site was identified as important in 2007 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
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	VU	passage	1990-2006	460-520 individuals	C1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1990-2006	22-33 breeding pairs	C1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	passage	1990-2006	800-1,000 individuals	C1, C2
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	passage	1990-2006	4,000-5,000 individuals	C3
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	passage	1990-2006	60-70 individuals	C1
Little Crake Zapornia parva	LC	breeding	1990-2006	25-40 breeding pairs	C6
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage	1990-2006	120-150 individuals	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	1990-2006	40-52 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	passage	1990-2006	120-170 individuals	C2
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1990-2006	32-46 breeding pairs	C6
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	breeding	1990-2006	24-28 breeding pairs	C6
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	passage	1990-2006	40-50 individuals	C1, C2
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	14-40 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage	1990-2006	80-100 individuals	C6
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	LC	passage	1990-2006	12-15 individuals	C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	12-13 breeding pairs	C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	passage	1990-2006	1,000-1,200 individuals	C1
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	passage	1990-2006	200-220 individuals	C6
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	passage	1990-2006	40-50 individuals	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	1990-2006	30-70 breeding pairs	C6
Osprey Pandion haliaetus	LC	passage	1990-2006	20-22 individuals	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	26-28 breeding pairs	C6
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	10-15 breeding pairs	C1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	1990-2006	20,000 individuals	C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Red-breasted Goose Branta ruficollis	460	6,500	individuals	100	favourable
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	40	5	individuals	13	very unfavourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	20,000	40,000	individuals	100	favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Artificial/Terrestrial	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Forest	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

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	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Lake Amara	Nature Reserve	2
-	Lake Balta Alba	Nature Reserve	1
1994	Visani Bird Sanctuary	Nature Reserve	1
1995	Balta Albă	Rezervatie naturala	2
1995	Balta Amară	Rezervatie naturala	2
2000	Lacul Jirlău - Vișani	Rezervatie naturala	1
2000	Pădurea Camnița	Rezervatie naturala	<1
2006	Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău - Lacul Sărat Câineni	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	12
2006	Lunca Buzăului	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	8
2008	Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	9

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry plantations, Other urban and industrial areas, Perennial crops, orchards and groves	83
Forest	Alluvial and very wet forest, Broadleaved deciduous woodland	7
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	5
Wetlands (inland)	Standing brackish and salt water, Water fringe vegetation, Rivers and streams	5

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	60
fisheries/aquaculture	30
agriculture	10
other	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Balta Albă - Amara - Jirlău (Romania). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/balta-albă--amara--jirlău-iba-romania on 22/11/2024.