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The site was identified as important in 2002 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
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1998-2001	2-3 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	2001	5-6 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	2000-2001	10-15 breeding pairs	C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1998-2001	6-15 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	breeding	2001	200-300 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	winter	2001	200-300 individuals	C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2001	110-130 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2000-2001	150-500 individuals	C6
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	2001	60-85 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus	LC	breeding	1999	5-6 breeding pairs	C6
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding	2000-2001	45-60 breeding pairs	C6
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	2001	108-130 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus	LC	resident	1996-2001	3-4 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla	LC	breeding	2000-2001	400-500 breeding pairs	C6

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2002) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1988	Biviere di Gela	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	1
1997	Riserva naturale orientata Biviere di Gela	Riserva naturale regionale/provinciale	1
1998	Biviere e Macconi di Gela	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	9
1998	Torre Manfria	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
2005	Torre Manfria; Biviere e Piana di Gela	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	43

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Perennial crops, orchards and groves	30
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	30
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	50
water management	50
nature conservation and research	50

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Biviere and Plain of Gela (Italy). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/biviere-and-plain-of-gela-iba-italy on 23/11/2024.