PT006
Côa valley


Country/territory: Portugal

IBA criteria met: B2, C6 (2002)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 23,727 hectares (237.27 km2)

Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2005 not assessed low not assessed
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2002 baseline)
This site, located in the region of Beira Alta, includes a part of the Côa Valley, a steep valley with cliffs and rock formation of granites and schists.The vegetation is scrub of Genista with dispersed woodland of oak (Q. ilex) while in thermophile areas is present broom.Olive and almond plantations are the agriculture of this region. Also there is shepherding in the plain areas or soft slopes.

Key biodiversity
The site holds important numbers of cliff-nesting bird species. The breeding population of Neophron percnopterus occurs in this area and it is one of the most important in Portugal.It is siginificative the number of Aquila chrysaetos, Hieraaetus fasciatus and too for Oenanthe leucura that occurs in arid areas of IBA.Also there are several passerines.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Côa valley (Portugal). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/côa-valley-iba-portugal on 22/12/2024.