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The site was identified as important in 2011 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 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

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2011) may differ.

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 trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

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

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other 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	% overlap with IBA
1990	Embalse de Orellana y Sierra de Pela	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	29
1993	Embalse de Orellana	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	4
1997	Embalse de Orellana y Sierra de Pela	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	29
1997	Dehesas del Ruecas y Cubilar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5
1998	Embalse de Orellana y Sierra de Pela	Zona de Interes Regional	29
1999	Refugio del Alto de San Blas	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2001	Moheda Alta	Parque Periurbano de Conservación y Ocio	<1
2003	Llanos de Zorita y Embalse de Sierra Brava	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	12
2004	Vegas del Ruecas; Cubilar y Moheda Alta	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	10
2004	Arrozales de Palazuelo y Guadalperales	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	4
2004	Colonias de Cernícalo Primilla de Acedera	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	<1
2014	Olivar de la Sierra	Árbol Singular	<1
2014	Charneca del Cuquil	Árbol Singular	-
2014	El Guapero	Lugar de Interés Científico	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry plantations	65
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	15
Forest	Broadleaved evergreen woodland	10
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams	10
Artificial/Aquatic & Marine		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) 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 22/11/2024.