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

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	breeding	2011	present	B2, C6
Marbled Duck Marmaronetta angustirostris	NT	non-breeding	2011	max 3 individuals	B2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	resident	2008	70-257 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2008	50-150 breeding pairs	C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident	2008	max 273 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2008	max 150 individuals	A1, C1
Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii	VU	winter	2008	max 500 individuals	A1, C1
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2007-2008	165-220 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	2008	max 200 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2011) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	99	53	breeding pairs	54	unfavourable
Charadrius alexandrinus	248	91	breeding pairs	37	very unfavourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	4	1	breeding pairs	25	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in short term (within 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	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 planning has taken place	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1992	Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar	Parque Regional	6
1992	Espacios Abiertos e Islas del Mar Menor	Paisaje Protegido	6
1994	Mar Menor	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	97
1998	Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	4
1998	Salinas y Arenales de San Pedro del Pinatar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5
1998	Espacios Abiertos e Islas del Mar Menor	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	4
1999	Mar Menor	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	87
2000	Mar Menor	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	94
2001	Mar Menor y Costa Oriental De La Region De Murcia	Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (Barcelona Convention)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
tourism/recreation	95
fisheries/aquaculture	90
military	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mar Menor coastal lagoon (Spain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mar-menor-coastal-lagoon-iba-spain on 23/11/2024.