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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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	passage (2009)	min 266 birds	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	resident (2009)	1,229–2,533 pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina	LC	winter (2009)	1,877–11,346 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	winter (2009)	4,605–26,340 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Gadwall Mareca strepera	LC	winter (2009)	1,310–7,700 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Gadwall Mareca strepera	LC	resident (2009)	321–486 pairs	B1i, B2, C3
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	winter (2009)	849–7,585 birds	B1i, B3, C3
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos	LC	winter (2009)	29,432–102,607 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Mallard Anas platyrhynchos	LC	resident (2009)	11,214–12,443 pairs	B1i, C3
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter (2009)	6,406–37,704 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	passage (2009)	min 23,212 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter (2009)	5,231–20,152 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	resident (2009)	3,139–5,560 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Baillon's Crake Zapornia pusilla	LC	resident (1990)	50 pairs	B2, C2, C6
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio	LC	resident (2003)	250–500 pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	winter (2009)	11,034–47,174 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	resident (2009)	min 6,362 pairs	B1i, C3
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	resident (2009)	min 1 pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding (2006)	max 2,000 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	resident (2006)	411–603 pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding (2006)	674–1,032 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	LC	passage (1996)	7,000–14,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	LC	winter (2010)	1,507–5,289 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	LC	resident (2006)	3,877–4,005 pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding (2006)	436–527 pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	passage (2010)	min 3,225 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter (2007)	848–5,822 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	resident (2006)	1,684–2,411 pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter (2004)	1,228–4,738 birds	B1i, C3
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	resident (2009)	141–416 pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter (2006)	660–1,325 birds	B1i, C2, C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding (2005)	1,161–2,129 pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident (2011)	900–1,000 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter (2005)	23–1,046 birds	B1i, C2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	passage (2010)	min 3,791 birds	A1, B1i, C1, C3
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (2010)	543–4,797 birds	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C3
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	VU	passage (2010)	present	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage (2010)	min 34,801 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter (2003)	8,010–30,534 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Little Stint Calidris minuta	LC	passage (2010)	min 6,104 birds	B1i, C3
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding (2009)	72–162 pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Slender-billed Gull Larus genei	LC	resident (2004–2008)	532–750 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	winter (2008)	477–14,652 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	winter (2010)	max 301 birds	A1, C1, C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	passage (2002)	min 1,000 birds	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2, C6
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	resident (2006–2009)	9,762–15,329 pairs	A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2005–2007)	max 389 pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	breeding (2008)	377–1,112 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	passage (1996)	abundant	B1i, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding (2004–2007)	2–5,452 pairs	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding (2008)	88–731 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding (2004–2009)	482–2,786 pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon	LC	resident (2006)	2–3 pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding (1996)	20,000-49,999 pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (1996)	20,000-49,999 birds	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	resident (1996)	20,000-49,999 pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (1996)	50,000-99,999 birds	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 (2016) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Geological events	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Most of area (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1983	Delta de l'Ebre	Nature Park (V)	22
1986	Delta de l`Ebre	Parque Natural (V)	20
1986	Punta de la Banya	Reserva Natural Parcial (IV)	7
1986	L`illa de Sapinya	Reserva Natural Parcial (IV)	<1
1986	La Banya	Natural Reserve (-)	8
1991	Estació biològica el Canal Vell	Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV)	<1
1992	Delta de l`Ebre	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V)	38
1992	Punta del Fangar	Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV)	2
1992	Llacuna de la Tancada	Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV)	1
1992	Puig de la Banya del Boc	Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V)	-
1995	L`illa de Sant Antoni	Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	75	Arable land; Other urban and industrial areas
Forest	-	Alluvial and very wet forest
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	-
Marine Intertidal	-
Marine Neritic	-

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	70
hunting	65
nature conservation and research	25
fisheries/aquaculture	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ebro delta (Spain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ebro-delta-iba-spain on 22/12/2024.