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The site was identified as important in 2004 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
Mute Swan Cygnus olor	LC	winter	1993-1999	1,244-8,900 individuals	A4i, B1i
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter	1996-1998	214-1,200 individuals	A4i, B1i, B3
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	winter	1996	15,528 individuals	A4i, B1i
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter	1999	12,400 individuals	B1i
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	winter	1999	31,300 individuals	B1i
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	1989-1996	40 breeding pairs	B1i, B2
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	passage	2000	231 individuals	A4i, B1i
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus	LC	breeding	1989-1996	100 breeding pairs	B2
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1989-1996	50 breeding pairs	B2
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	1989-1996	200 breeding pairs	B2
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1989-1996	300 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1989-1996	100 breeding pairs	B2
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	breeding	1993-1994	400 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	winter	1993-1998	51-610 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	winter	1994-1998	128-20,000 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	1999	9,300 individuals	A4i, B1i
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	1994	300 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1989-1994	200 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1989-1996	200 breeding pairs	B2
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	breeding	1989-1993	500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2
Greater Spotted Eagle Clanga clanga	VU	winter	-	6 individuals	A1
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	-	48,440-73,212 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2004) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	good (> 90%)	moderate (70-90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	No management planning has taken place	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1992	Merýc Deltasý	SIT (Law on Protection of Cultural and Natural Assets No. 2863)	46
2010	Gala Lake	National Park	100
2020	Meriç Deltası	Wetland of National Importance	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	50
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	25
military	25
fisheries/aquaculture	20
water management	20
hunting	5

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Meriç Delta (Türkiye). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/meriç-delta-iba-türkiye on 23/11/2024.