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The site was identified as important in 2000 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
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula	LC	winter	1994	150-8,850 individuals	B1i, C3
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1996	10-20 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus	NT	breeding	1996	500 breeding pairs	A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	LC	breeding	1996	100 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	resident	1996	314-400 breeding pairs	A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C6
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	LC	breeding	1996	733 breeding pairs	B1i, C3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2000) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Ori Varnounta – Evryteri Periochi	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
-	Prespes national park (Juniperus forest)	Biogenetic Reserves	<1
1974	Prespes	Ethnikos Drymos (perifereiaki zoni)	40
1974	Prespes	Ethnikos Drymos (pirinas)	15
1975	Lake Mikri Prespa	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	16
1995	Ethnikos Drymos Prespon	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	81
1995	Ori Varnounta	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	18
2002	Ori Varnounta	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	18
2003	Sfikas Dimou Prespon	Katafygio Agrias Zois	7
2009	Ethniko Parko limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas	Ethniko Parko	100
2009	Ethniko Parko Limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas - Zones Prostasias tis Fysis B2, B4, B6	Periochi prostasias tis fysis se ethniko parko	74
2009	Ethniko Parko Limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas - Zones Prostasias tis Fysis B1, B3, B5, B7	Periochi prostasias tis fysis se ethniko parko	14
2009	Ethniko Parko Limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas - Zones Oikoanaptyxis OIK1, OIK2, OIK3, OIK4, OIK5, OIK6	Alla	10
2009	Ethniko Parko Limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas - Zones Apolytis Prostasias tis Fysis A1, A2, A3	Periochi apolytis prostasias tis fysis se ethniko parko	1
2009	Ethniko Parko Limnon Mikris kai Megalis Prespas - Prostatevomenoi Fysikoi Schimatismoi kai Stoicheia tou Topiou S5, S6	Alla	<1
2010	Ethnikos Drymos Prespon	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	81

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland, Mixed woodland, Treeline ecotone	40
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Shingle or stony beaches, Water fringe vegetation	30
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	10
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)		minor (<10)
Grassland	Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland, Humid grasslands	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	40
fisheries/aquaculture	27
agriculture	15
nature conservation and research	5
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Prespa National Park and Varnountas mountains (Greece). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/prespa-national-park-and-varnountas-mountains-iba-greece on 22/11/2024.