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

The site was identified as important in 2008 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
Straight-billed Reedhaunter Limnoctites rectirostris	NT	resident	1966-2005	90 individuals	A1, A2
Sulphur-throated Spinetail Limnoctites sulphuriferus	LC	resident	1966-2005	present	A3
Black-and-white Monjita Xolmis dominicanus	VU	resident	1966-2004	200 individuals	A1
Saffron-cowled Blackbird Xanthopsar flavus	EN	resident	1996-2008	130 individuals	A1
Chestnut Seedeater Sporophila cinnamomea	VU	breeding	2006	present	A1, A2, A3
Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris	EN	breeding	2005-2008	27 individuals	A1, A2, A3
Marsh Seedeater Sporophila palustris	EN	breeding	1999	2 individuals	A1, A2, A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	2007	48,900 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2008) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2008. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Laguna Merín	Other Area	100
-	Humedales del Este	Other Area	-
1937	Fuerte San Miguel	Historical Monument	<1
1976	Bañados del Este y Franja Costera	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	70
1976	Bañados del Este	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	100
1984	Bañados del Este y Franja Costera	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	45
1991	El Potrerillo de Sta. Teresa	Flora and Fauna Reserve	<1
1991	El Potrerillo de Sta. Teresa	National Park	-
1992	Bañado de Los Indios	Designation Not Known	-
2010	San Miguel	Parque Nacional	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	Rice paddies	major (>10)
Forest	Palm forest	major (>10)
Grassland	Campo grassland	major (>10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Freshwater marshes/swamps	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	major (>10)
rangeland/pastureland	major (>10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Eastern Wetlands (Uruguay). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/eastern-wetlands-iba-uruguay on 23/11/2024.