Current view: Text account
Site description (2002 baseline):
Site location and context
A small freshwater marsh with an extensive reedbed, located in central-west Portugal, very close to the town of Coimbra. The marsh is bordered by pine woodland, and is situated in a relatively densely populated region. An important part of a network of small wetlands in the Mondego valley, which includes two other IBAs: Paul do Taipal (009) and Paul de Madriz (011).
The area supports important breeding numbers of two herons (
Ixobricus minutus e
Ardea purpurea)and a raptor (
Milvus migrans), as well as large numbers of migratory passerines during autumn migration.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There are plans to build a new road on the edge of the site but there is not any managament plan for nature conservation in the special protection area or Ramsar site. Nevertheless about 18 % of lands included in IBA are property of state, with ICN(Institute Nature Conservation) as intermediate.Agricultural, industrial and chemical pollution, drainage, cutting of vegetation, afforestation and illegal hunting are some threats that occur in this IBA.
National Nature Reserve Paul de Arzila, 580 ha, included 315 ha of IBA.Special Protection Area Paul de Arzila, 482 ha overlaps with IBA.SIC Paul de Arzila, 666ha, 459 ha overlaps with IBA.
International:Special Protection Area Paul de Arzila;SIC Paul de Arzila;
Ramsar Site Paul de Arzila, 585 ha, including IBA;Biogenetic reserve (Council Europe) .
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Paul de Arzila (Portugal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/paul-de-arzila-iba-portugal on 22/12/2024.
