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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2011 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
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	winter (2008)	20,000–40,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	winter (2006)	min 2,000 individuals	A1, C1
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax	NT	resident (2005)	min 1,700 individuals	A1, B2, C1, C2
Great Bustard Otis tarda	EN	resident (2008)	250–300 individuals	A1, B2, C1, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	passage (2011)	min 150 individuals	B1i, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	winter (2011)	min 25 individuals	B1i, C2
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	breeding (2008)	4–5 breeding pairs	B1i, C2
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	resident (2008)	400–500 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	breeding (2011)	min 135 breeding pairs	C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding (2007)	min 200 breeding pairs	C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (2010)	903–12,820 individuals	A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C3
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	non-breeding (2005)	min 800 individuals	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding (2010)	min 275 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	winter (2010)	244–10,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Gull-billed Tern Gelochelidon nilotica	LC	breeding (2011)	max 1,100 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus	LC	resident (2008)	22–25 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti	VU	non-breeding (2009)	min 10 individuals	A1, C1
Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciata	LC	resident (2009)	min 7 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding (2009)	min 60 breeding pairs	B3, C2, C6
Red Kite Milvus milvus	LC	winter (2008)	200–300 individuals	A1, C1
European Roller Coracias garrulus	LC	breeding (2008)	min 25 breeding pairs	A1, C1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	breeding (2002)	209–245 breeding pairs	B1iii, B2, C2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (1996)	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii, C4

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2011) is shown below.

State (condition of the key species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	likely in short term (within 4 years)	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	likely in short term (within 4 years)	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Pollution	likely in short term (within 4 years)	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Some of site covered (10–49%)	No manage­ment plan exists, but the manage­ment planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1998	Embalse de Orellana y Sierra de Pela	Zona de Interes Regional (VI)	29
2001	Moheda Alta	Parque Periurbano de Conservación y Ocio (VI)	<1
2014	Olivar de la Sierra	Árbol Singular (III)	<1
2014	Charneca del Cuquil	Árbol Singular (III)	-
2014	El Guapero	Lugar de Interés Científico (IV)	<1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	65	Arable land; Forestry plantations
Grassland	15	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland
Forest	10	Broadleaved evergreen woodland
Wetlands (inland)	10	Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	-

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	90
agriculture	80
water management	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Pela mountain range-Orellana reservoir-Zorita (Spain). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/pela-mountain-range-orellana-reservoir-zorita-iba-spain on 23/01/2025.