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The site was identified as important in 2005 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
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	breeding	1998	136-326 breeding pairs	C6
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	breeding	1998	12 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Scops-owl Otus scops	LC	breeding	1998	89-127 breeding pairs	B2
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus	LC	breeding	1998	8 breeding pairs	C6
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus	EN	breeding	2003	4 breeding pairs	C6
Cinereous Vulture Aegypius monachus	NT	winter	1996	15 individuals	A1, C1
Eastern Imperial Eagle Aquila heliaca	VU	resident	1998	1-2 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus	LC	breeding	1998	4 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Eurasian Wryneck Jynx torquilla	LC	breeding	1996	68-84 breeding pairs	B2
Masked Shrike Lanius nubicus	LC	breeding	1998	8 breeding pairs	A3, B2
Olive-tree Warbler Hippolais olivetorum	LC	breeding	1998	34 breeding pairs	A3, C6
Subalpine Warbler Curruca cantillans	LC	breeding	1998	158-292 breeding pairs	A3
Sardinian Warbler Curruca melanocephala	LC	resident	1998	37-177 breeding pairs	A3
Black-headed Bunting Emberiza melanocephala	LC	breeding	1998	201-231 breeding pairs	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2005) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1984	Nahodiste na gradinski chay v mestnost kray Luda reka	Prirodna Zabelezhitelnost	<1
1999	Hambar dere	Zashtitena Mestnost	<1
2001	Meandri na Biala reka	Zashtitena Mestnost	3
2006	Rodopi - Iztochni	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	100
2007	Byala reka	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2013	Nahodishte na rodopski lopen	Zashtitena Mestnost	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland	60
Artificial/Terrestrial	Perennial crops, orchards and groves	27
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	10
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	2
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams	1

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	70
forestry	60
agriculture	29
tourism/recreation	2

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Byala Reka (Bulgaria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/byala-reka-iba-bulgaria on 23/11/2024.