Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
This site stretches along the River Evros, from Pithio to Ormenio, and part of the River Ardas. Riverine forest is dominated by
Populus and
Salix species. The forest exists in a mosaic of grassland, scrub, freshwater ponds with reedbeds (
Phragmites) and some arable land. A large part of the area is a military zone.
The site is very important for breeding, migrating and wintering waterbirds, raptors and passerines. Two heronries with more than 250 pairs of
Nycticorax nycticorax, Egretta garzetta and
Ardea cinerea lie within the IBA.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The heronry at Dikaia is threatened by logging of the trees. There is a rubbish tip in the forest of the River Arda (`Other' threats). A further threat is from agricultural intensification, particularly increased use of fertilizers and pesticides, irrigation and drainage. Hunting is a threat in winter.
National Low
International None400 ha of IBA covered by Wildlife Refuge (Kalos Gialas/Plati-Arzou-Rizion-Filakiou, 400 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Northern Evros and Ardas riparian forest (Greece). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/northern-evros-and-ardas-riparian-forest-iba-greece on 23/12/2024.
