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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2000 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
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	winter (1997)	184–2,318 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	passage (1997)	200–1,500 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter (1997)	3,153–14,600 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	breeding (1997)	30 pairs	C6
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	passage (1997)	10,000–15,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	winter (1997)	100–260 birds	A1, C1
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding (1997)	6–7 pairs	C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding (1991)	50 pairs	C2
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter (1997)	445–888 birds	B1i, C2
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	passage (1997)	500–1,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	passage (1997)	1,000–2,000 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	breeding (1997)	10–12 pairs	B1i, C3
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter (1997)	350–786 birds	B1i, B2, C2
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding (1997)	100–200 pairs	B3, C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding (1997)	50–200 pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding (1997)	100–200 pairs	B2
Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis	LC	winter (1997)	3,866–13,503 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (1997)	100–200 pairs	B2, C6
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	passage (1997)	100–300 birds	B1i, C2
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding (1997)	200–350 pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding (1997)	15–20 pairs	C6
Black Kite Milvus migrans	LC	breeding (1997)	10–15 pairs	C6
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	LC	breeding (1997)	10–50 pairs	C6
Moustached Warbler Acrocephalus melanopogon	LC	breeding (1991)	20–100 pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (1997)	min 20,000 birds	A4iii, C4

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Arnel	Hunting Reserve (-)	2
-	Méjean	Hunting Reserve (-)	4
-	Vagaran	Hunting Reserve (-)	<1
-	Les Salims	Hunting Reserve (-)	<1
1975	L'Estagnol	Réserve naturelle nationale (IV)	1
1979	ETANG DE VIC	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	14
1979	Lido de L'Or	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	2
1980	SALINS DE FRONTIGNAN	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	2
1980	BOIS DES ARESQUIERS	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	1
1981	ETANG DU MEJEAN	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	2
1982	Etang de L'Or	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	4
1984	Marais de la Castillone	Arrêté de protection de biotope (IV)	1
1990	Etang du Grec	Arrêté de protection de biotope (IV)	1
1992	SALINES DE VILLENEUVE	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	2
2001	ETANG DES MOUETTES	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral (IV)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	major (>10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Artificial/Terrestrial	minor (<10)	Perennial crops, orchards and groves; Arable land
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Water fringe vegetation

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Etangs Montpellierains (France). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/etangs-montpellierains-iba-france on 23/12/2024.