• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• 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
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding	1992-2001	5-25 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C2, C6
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	winter	1992-2001	50-300 individuals	A1, C1, C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	1992-2001	2-6 breeding pairs	C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	winter	1992-2001	4-12 individuals	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	winter	1992-2001	30-100 individuals	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1992-2001	80-150 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	1992-2001	100 breeding pairs	C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter	1992-2001	50-200 individuals	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	1992-2001	200-750 individuals	C6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	1992-2001	40-200 individuals	B2
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	winter	1992-2001	100-150 individuals	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	winter	1992-2001	10-200 individuals	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	winter	1992-2001	50-150 individuals	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1992-2001	27,000-48,000 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 (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	25	5	breeding pairs	20	very unfavourable
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio	100	60	breeding pairs	60	unfavourable
Ixobrychus minutus	125	20	breeding pairs	16	very unfavourable
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	5	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Charadrius alexandrinus	10	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	-	moderate (70-90%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1984	Riserva naturale Oasi del Simeto	Riserva naturale regionale/provinciale	8
1998	Biviere di Lentini; tratto mediano e foce del Fiume Simeto e area antistante la foce	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	61
1998	Foce del Fiume Simeto e Lago Gornalunga	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	21
1998	Tratto di Pietralunga del Fiume Simeto	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	major (>10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		minor (<10)
Marine Intertidal		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
water management	67
nature conservation and research	26
hunting	7

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Simeto mouth and middle course and Biviere di Lentini (Italy). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/simeto-mouth-and-middle-course-and-biviere-di-lentini-iba-italy on 23/11/2024.