• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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	200 individuals	C1
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1990-2006	50-70 breeding pairs	C1
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding	1990-2006	20 breeding pairs	C1
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage	1990-2006	44 individuals	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	1990-2006	80-120 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	60-70 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding	1990-2006	10-40 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	70-80 breeding pairs	C6
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	1990-2006	250-350 breeding pairs	C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1990-2006	300-400 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1990-2006	80-90 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	breeding	1990-2006	70-80 breeding pairs	C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	breeding	1990-2006	420-480 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	breeding	1993	100 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	1990-2006	200 breeding pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	24 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	breeding	1990-2006	2 breeding pairs	C6
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	1990-2006	25-30 breeding pairs	C1
Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus	VU	passage	1990-2006	200 individuals	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.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1979	Little island of Braila	Nature Reserve	21
2000	Parcul Natural Balta Mică a Brăilei	Parc natural	83
2001	Small Island of Braila	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	-
2006	Balta Mică a Brăilei	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	82
2006	Brațul Măcin	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
2007	Balta Mică a Brăilei	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	82
2007	Dunărea Veche - Brațul Măcin	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	60
Forest	Alluvial and very wet forest	30
Grassland	Humid grasslands	10

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	50
nature conservation and research	30
agriculture	10
hunting	10

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Balta Mică a Brăilei (Romania). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/balta-mică-a-brăilei-iba-romania on 23/11/2024.