Data Zone
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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grey Partridge Perdix perdix | LC | resident (2009) | min 50 pairs | C6 |
| Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus | LC | resident (2009) | 4–7 males | C6 |
| Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus | EN | breeding (2009) | 16–21 pairs | A1, B2, C1, C2 |
| Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus | LC | resident (2009) | 222–254 pairs | B1iii, C2, C6 |
| Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos | LC | resident (2009) | 13–15 pairs | C2, C6 |
| Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius | LC | resident (2008) | min 58 pairs | C6 |
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius | LC | resident (2008) | 498–514 pairs | C2, C6 |
| Yellow-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax graculus | LC | resident (2009) | present | A3 |
| Wallcreeper Tichodroma muraria | LC | resident (2009) | present | A3 |
| Alpine Accentor Prunella collaris | LC | resident (2009) | present | A3 |
| White-winged Snowfinch Montifringilla nivalis | LC | resident (2009) | present | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2008) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2008 | good | very high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus | 10 / 5 (males) | 100 | good | ||
| Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus | 160 / 100 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos | 8 / 7 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius | 160 / 15 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Some of area covered (10–49%) | A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Picos de Europa | Nature Park (-) | 15 |
| 1918 | Picos de Europa | Parque Nacional (II) | 48 |
| 1995 | Picos de Europa | National Park (-) | 47 |
| 2003 | Ponga | Parque Natural (V) | <1 |
| 2003 | Red de Toneyu | Monumento Natural (III) | - |
| 2003 | Torca Urriellu | Monumento Natural (III) | - |
| 2003 | Sistema del Trave | Monumento Natural (III) | - |
| 2003 | Sistema del Jitu | Monumento Natural (III) | - |
| 2003 | Picos de Europe, Gran Cantábrica | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | - |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 30 | Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Alluvial and very wet forest |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 25 | Scree & boulders; Inland cliffs |
| Shrubland | 20 | Scrub; Heathland |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 10 | Highly improved re-seeded landscapes |
| Grassland | 10 | Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland; Humid grasslands |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 50 |
| agriculture | 45 |
| hunting | 20 |
| tourism/recreation | 10 |
| forestry | 5 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Picos de Europa mountain range (Spain). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/picos-de-europa-mountain-range-iba-spain on 23/12/2024.