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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus | LC | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 3,471–6,932 birds | B1ii, C2 |
| Cory's Shearwater Calonectris borealis | LC | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 2,235–4,948 birds | B1ii, C2, C6 |
| Scopoli's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea | LC | breeding (2004) | present | B1ii, C2, C6 |
| Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus | CR | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 7,121–13,889 birds | A1, A4ii, B1ii, C1, C2 |
| Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus | CR | winter (2003–2007) | 9,757–29,181 birds | A1, A4ii, B1ii, C1, C2 |
| European Shag Gulosus aristotelis | LC | resident (2006) | present | C6 |
| Slender-billed Gull Larus genei | LC | resident (2004) | present | B2, C2, C6 |
| Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus | LC | winter (2007) | 18,617–30,384 birds | A4i, B1i, C2 |
| Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii | VU | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 6,904–13,562 birds | A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6 |
| Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii | VU | winter (2003–2007) | 278–645 birds | A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2, C6 |
| Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii | VU | breeding (2007) | present | A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6 |
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | LC | breeding (2005) | present | B1i, B2, C2, C6 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 2,791–15,045 birds | A4i, B1i, C2, C6 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (2004) | present | B1i, C2, C6 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | LC | non-breeding (1999–2007) | 685–6,528 birds | A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | LC | breeding (2004) | present | A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2011. The most recent assessment (2016) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2016 | very poor | very high | not assessed |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | - | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus | 2,737 / 6,932 (birds) | 40 | poor | ||
| Calonectris diomedea | 2,112 / 4,948 (birds) | 43 | poor | ||
| Balearic Shearwater Puffinus mauretanicus | 14,402 / 13,889 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus | 18,750 / 30,384 (birds) | 62 | poor | ||
| Larus michahellis | 8,528 / 15,380 (birds) | 56 | poor | ||
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | 156 / 6,528 (birds) | 3 | very poor | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Marine Oceanic | - | moderate (70–90%) | very poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Not assessed | Not assessed | Not assessed | not assessed |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Delta de l`Ebre | Parque Natural (V) | <1 |
| 1986 | Punta de la Banya | Reserva Natural Parcial (IV) | <1 |
| 1990 | Reserva Marina de las Islas Columbretes | Reservas Marinas (IV) | 1 |
| 1992 | Delta de l`Ebre | Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V) | 4 |
| 1992 | Cap de Santes Creus-Litoral meridional tarragoní | Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V) | <1 |
| 1992 | Punta del Fangar | Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV) | <1 |
| 1992 | Desembocadura del Riu Gaià | Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V) | <1 |
| 1995 | Les Illes Columbretes | Reserva Natural (Ib) | <1 |
| 1995 | Desembocadura del Riu Gaià | Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV) | <1 |
| 1996 | Torrent del Pi | Reserva Natural de Fauna Salvaje (IV) | <1 |
| 2014 | Prats de la Pineda | Plan Especial de Protección (PEIN) (V) | <1 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 90 | |
| Marine Oceanic | 90 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Plataforma Marina del Delta del Ebro - Columbretes (Spain). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/plataforma-marina-del-delta-del-ebro--columbretes-iba-spain on 23/12/2024.