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The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Common Pochard Aythya ferina	VU	winter	1988	11,100 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	winter	1988	10,000 individuals	B1i, C3
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus	LC	passage	1990	500-1,800 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	winter	1988	1,550 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	breeding	1990	39 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	resident	1990	25 breeding pairs	B1i, C3
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	1990	23 breeding pairs	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1988	300 individuals	B2, C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident	1990	200 breeding pairs	B1i, C3
Slender-billed Curlew Numenius tenuirostris	CR	passage	2000	present	A1, C1
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1990	66-77 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1990	489-500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	LC	resident	1996	10-20 breeding pairs	C2
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding	1990	110 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus	LC	resident	-	common	C6
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding	1990	12-15 breeding pairs	A1, C1
Greater Short-toed Lark Calandrella brachydactyla	LC	breeding	1990	1,200-1,250 breeding pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1998	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2000) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Mesolongi and Aetoliko lagoons	National Park	62
-	Mesolongi and Aetoliko lagoons, and Acheloos and	Biogenetic Reserves	-
1975	Messolonghi lagoons	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	63
1985	Kantilia-Valti (Astakou)	Katafygio Agrias Zois	2
1985	To dasos tou Lesiniou Aitoloakarnanias	Diatiriteo mnimeio tis fysis	<1
1985	Lesini Ash Forest	Natural Monument	<1
1995	Delta Acheloou; Limnothalassa Mesolongiou - Aitolikou, Ekvoles Evinou, Nisoi Echinades, Nisos Petalas	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	63
1995	Oros Arakynthos Kai Stena Kleisouras	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	13
1995	Oros Varasova	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3
2001	Asprolithi Dimou Mesolongiou	Katafygio Agrias Zois	3
2002	Delta Acheloou; Limnothalassa Mesolongiou - Aitolikou Kai Ekvoles Evinou, Nisoi Echinades, Nisos Petalas, Dytikos Arakynthos Kai Stena Kleisouras	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	80
2006	Ethniko Parko limnothalasson Mesolongiou – Aitolikou, kato rou kai ekvolon Acheloou kai Evinou kai nison Echinadon	Ethniko Parko	68
2006	Zones prostasias tis fysis PF1, PF2, PF3 kai PF4 Ethnikou Parkou limnothalasson Mesolongiou	Periochi prostasias tis fysis se ethniko parko	67
2006	Perifereiakes perioches PP1, PP2, PP3, PP4, PP5, PP6, PP7 kai Perifereiaki zoni Ethnikou Parkou Mesolongiou	Periferiaki zoni Ethnikou Parkou	4
2006	Zones apolytis prostasias AP1, AP2, AP3 kai AP4 Ethnikou Parkou limnothalasson Mesolongiou	Periochi apolytis prostasias tis fysis se ethniko parko	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	8
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest	7
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	50
other	5
agriculture	-
forestry	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mesolongi and Aitoliko lagoons, Acheloos delta and Evinos estuary (Greece). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mesolongi-and-aitoliko-lagoons-acheloos-delta-and-evinos-estuary-iba-greece on 22/11/2024.