• Summary
• Text account
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• Reference and further resources

Site description (2008 baseline)
São Miguel is the largest island in the Azores, with a total area of 745 km2 and with 217km of coast line. The IBA on the southern face of S. Miguel island is defined mainly through the colonies of Roseate Tern that breed here, with around 37 pairs feeding mainly within the IBA, as well as two colonies of Common Tern totalling 143 pairs, and a population of Cory's Shearwaters that is estimated at 2,400 individuals in this area. The Cory's Shearwater population surveys indicated a total mean population of over 50,000 individuals in the whole island of São Miguel. Madeiran Storm-petrel breeding had not yet been confirmed, although a small colony of around 10 pairs was recorded on Vila Franca islet in the past. This island has the largest human presence, and activities such as recreational diving, cetacean watching and spearfishing are common and on the increase. Therefore, management measures must be implemented in order to safeguard the habitat of the seabirds that use this marine area.

Key biodiversity
Cory's Shearwater Calonectrix diomedea: according to monitoring surveys, carried out in 1996 and 2001, around 2,400 individuals of this species occur in the proposed IBA (DOP-IMAr UAç). Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii: The maximum population estimated in the area of the IBA was 37 breeding pairs, which are distributed across the Caloura and Vila Franca islet colonies. The latter has only had Roseate Tern present in recent years (since 2007), while at the Caloura colony the number of pairs has tended to drop compared to 2003 (around 125 pairs). Common Tern Sterna hirundo: There are around 143 breeding pairs distributed across the Ponta da Caloura and Vila Franca islet colonies. Other species observed in this IBA: Great Shearwater, Sooty Shearwater, Little Shearwater, Madeiran Storm-petrel, Yellow-legged Gull.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: São Miguel - Sul (Portugal). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/são-miguel--sul-iba-portugal on 27/12/2024.