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• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2002 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
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	winter	2001	4,700-7,850 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	winter	2000	100-350 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio	LC	resident	2002	21-24 breeding pairs	C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	resident	2002	50 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	winter	1996	150-350 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	1996	5-11 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1996	frequent	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1996	650-750 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	resident	2002	218-247 breeding pairs	C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	resident	1996	350-400 breeding pairs	C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	winter	1996	350-400 individuals	C6
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	winter	1996	1,700-3,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	winter	1996	2,000-4,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	resident	1996	800-1,200 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	winter	1996	2,000-4,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	1996	1,900-4,200 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	passage	1996	700-1,200 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter	1996	500-1,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	1996	12,000-22,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola	LC	breeding	1996	25-45 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1996	200-300 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1996	min 20,000 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2002) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2002. The most recent assessment (2005) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1978	Ria Formosa	Parque Natural	76
1980	Ria Formosa	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	69
1988	Ria Formosa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1997	Ria Formosa / Castro Marim	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	58

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves, Forestry plantations, Other urban and industrial areas	-
Forest	Native coniferous woodland	-
Introduced vegetation		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Neritic		-
Shrubland	Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
forestry	-
military	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ria Formosa (Faro lagoon) (Portugal). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/ria-formosa-(faro-lagoon)-iba-portugal on 22/11/2024.