Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2005 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons | LC | winter (1997) | 200–34,755 individuals | A4i, B1i, C3 |
| Great White Egret Ardea alba | LC | winter (2001) | 168 individuals | A4i, B1i, C2 |
| Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus | NT | winter (1997) | 8–211 individuals | A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2 |
| Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus | LC | winter (2001) | 677 individuals | A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2 |
| Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo | LC | winter (1997) | 6,635–8,020 individuals | A4i, B1i, C3 |
| Yellow-legged Gull Larus michahellis | LC | winter (1992) | 1,400 individuals | B1i, C3 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | winter (1997) | 20,000-49,999 individuals | A4iii, C4 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | 81 | Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 11 | Arable land |
| Unknown | 5 | |
| Grassland | 3 | Steppes and dry calcareous grassland |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| hunting | 100 |
| fisheries/aquaculture | 80 |
| other | 80 |
| agriculture | 20 |
| urban/industrial/transport | 5 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ovtcharitsa Reservoir (Bulgaria). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ovtcharitsa-reservoir-iba-bulgaria on 13/01/2025.