Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2011 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Shag Gulosus aristotelis | LC | resident (2004) | 1,024 breeding pairs | A4i, B1i, B3, C3 |
| Common Murre Uria aalge | LC | resident (2009) | present | C6 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | resident (1995) | 10,000-19,999 breeding pairs | A4iii, C4 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2008) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2008 | very unfavourable | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | medium | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| European Shag Gulosus aristotelis | 300 / 1,500 (breeding pairs) | 20 | very unfavourable | ||
| Larus cachinnans | 20,000 / 20,000 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Islas Atlanticas | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 100 |
| 1980 | Islas Cíes | Nature Park (V) | 100 |
| 2002 | Marítimo-Terrestre de las Islas Atlánticas de Galicia | Parque Nacional (II) | 100 |
| 2014 | Espacio marino de las Rias Baixas de Galicia | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 4 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 40 | Scrub |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 25 | Forestry plantations |
| Forest | 10 | Broadleaved deciduous woodland |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 100 |
| fisheries/aquaculture | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cíes islands (Spain). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cíes-islands-iba-spain on 06/01/2025.