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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
Grey Partridge Perdix perdix	LC	resident	2009	min 50 breeding pairs	C6
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	LC	resident	2009	4-7 males	C6
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus	EN	breeding	2009	16-21 breeding pairs	A1, B2, C1, C2
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus	LC	resident	2009	222-254 breeding pairs	B1iii, C2, C6
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos	LC	resident	2009	13-15 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius	LC	resident	2008	min 58 breeding pairs	C6
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius	LC	resident	2008	498-514 breeding 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

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 (2008) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	5	10	males	100	favourable
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus	100	160	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos	7	8	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Middle Spotted Woodpecker Leiopicus medius	15	160	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Energy production and mining	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

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%)	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	% overlap with IBA
-	Ponga-Amieva	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3
-	Picos de Europa	Nature Park	15
1918	Picos de Europa	Parque Nacional	48
1988	Ponga-Amieva	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3
1995	Picos de Europa	National Park	47
1997	Picos de Europa (Asturias)	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	18
1997	Rio Deva	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1997	Río Nansa	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1999	Liébana	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	21
1999	Ponga-Amieva	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3
1999	Río Cares-Deva	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2000	Picos de Europa (Asturias)	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	18
2000	Desfiladero de la Hermida	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	5
2000	Sierra de Peña Sagra	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2
2001	Liébana	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	31
2001	Valles altos del Nansa y Saja y Alto Campoo	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
2003	Picos de Europa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	17
2003	Ponga	Parque Natural	<1
2003	Red de Toneyu	Monumento Natural	-
2003	Sistema del Jitu	Monumento Natural	-
2003	Sistema del Trave	Monumento Natural	-
2003	Torca Urriellu	Monumento Natural	-
2003	Picos de Europe, Gran Cantábrica	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	-
2004	Picos De Europa	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	17
2006	LIC-LIEBANA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	31
2006	ZEPA-LIEBANA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	21
2006	ZEPA-DESFILADERO DE LA HERMIDA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	5
2006	LIC-VALLES ALTOS DEL NANSA Y SAJA Y ALTO CAMPOO	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	4
2006	ZEPA-SIERRA DE PEÑA SAGRA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	4
2006	LIC-RIO DEVA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	<1
2006	LIC-RIO NANSA	Zona de la Red Ecológica Europea Natura 2000	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest	30
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Scree & boulders, Inland cliffs	25
Shrubland	Scrub, Heathland	20
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes	10
Grassland	Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland, Humid grasslands	10

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	50
agriculture	45
hunting	20
tourism/recreation	10
forestry	5

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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 22/11/2024.