Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scopoli's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea | LC | breeding (1994) | 800–1,000 pairs | C2, C6 |
| Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan | VU | breeding (-) | 150–300 pairs | C2, C6 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | not assessed | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | unset | unknown | |
| 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 | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Ta'Cenc Cliffs | Nature Reserve (-) | 10 |
| 1994 | L-inħawi fuq l-Għoljiet ta' Ċenċ, Għawdex | Santwarju ta' l-Għasafar (IV) | 100 |
| 2005 | Ta' Ċenċ (Sannat, Għawdex) | Sit ta' Importanza Xjentifika (IV) | 71 |
| 2007 | Rdumijiet ta' Għawdex: Ta' Ċenċ | Żoni ta' Ħarsien Speċjali (IV) | 100 |
| 2008 | L-Inħawi ta' Ta' Ċenċ | Żoni Speċjali ta' Konservazzjoni - Importanza Internazzjonali (IV) | 65 |
| 2016 | Il-Baħar ta' madwar Għawdex | Żoni ta' Ħarsien Speċjali (IV) | 6 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 100 | Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| not utilised | 100 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Ta'Cenc cliffs (Malta). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tacenc-cliffs-iba-malta on 23/12/2024.