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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2012 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 Francolin Francolinus francolinus	LC	breeding (2005–2011)	< 50 pairs	B2
White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala	EN	winter (2005–2011)	1–4 birds	A1, C1
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	winter (2005–2011)	500–1,500 birds	B1i, C3
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter (2005–2011)	1,000–9,500 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Demoiselle Crane Anthropoides virgo	LC	passage (2005–2011)	20–60 birds	B1i, C3
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage (2005–2011)	100–1,000 birds	B1i, C2
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	passage (2005–2011)	100–600 birds	B1i, C2
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding (2005–2011)	10–40 pairs	C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	passage (2005–2011)	150–500 birds	B1i, C2
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding (2005–2011)	18–32 pairs	C6
Spur-winged Lapwing Vanellus spinosus	LC	breeding (2005–2011)	1–15 pairs	B2, C6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter (2005–2011)	20–40 birds	C1
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	passage (2005–2011)	50–300 birds	B1i, C2
Calandra Lark Melanocorypha calandra	LC	breeding (2005–2011)	< 50 pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2005–2011)	9,000–20,000 birds	A4iii, C4

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2012. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Not assessed	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1961	Larnaca Saltwater Lake	Game Reserve ("Hunting Preserve") (IV)	-

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	55	Arable land; Other urban and industrial areas; Perennial crops, orchards and groves; Urban parks and gardens
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	36
Grassland	9

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	70
agriculture	20
urban/industrial/transport	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Larnaca Salt Lakes (Cyprus). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/larnaca-salt-lakes-iba-cyprus on 23/12/2024.