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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
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	winter	1997-2001	1,460 individuals	C3
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	winter	1997-2001	1,991 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	LC	winter	1997-2001	30,634 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	breeding	2000	2 breeding pairs	C6
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	winter	1993-1998	76 individuals	C6
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	winter	1997-2001	439 individuals	C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	winter	1997-2001	974 individuals	C6
Pygmy Cormorant Microcarbo pygmaeus	LC	breeding	1999	7 breeding pairs	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1997-2001	423 individuals	C6
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	2000	350-400 breeding pairs	A4i, B1ii, C2, C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2000	present	C6
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	1997-2001	25,159 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	winter	1997-2001	214 individuals	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2000	300-350 breeding pairs	A4i, B1ii, B2, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2000	1,000-1,300 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	1999	570 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	winter	1997-2001	96 individuals	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	1997	55,793 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
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	1,460	837	individuals	58	unfavourable
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	1,991	918	individuals	47	unfavourable
Eurasian Coot Fulica atra	30,634	23,957	individuals	79	near favourable
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	2	2	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Egretta garzetta	974	541	individuals	56	unfavourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	325	257	breeding pairs	80	near favourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	1,150	533	breeding pairs	47	unfavourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	570	476	breeding pairs	84	near favourable
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	96	79	individuals	83	near favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	-	very poor (< 40%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Unknown	negligible

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1989	Laguna di Venezia: Valle Averto	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	1
1991	Cà Roman	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Laguna medio-inferiore di Venezia	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	38
1996	Laguna superiore di Venezia	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	29
1996	Penisola del Cavallino: biotopi litoranei	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1996	Lido di Venezia: biotopi litoranei	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1996	Barene di S. Giuliano	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Vallesina - Canale Casson	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Seca del Bacan	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Laghetti Decal	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Pineta di Cà Ballarin	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Isolotto petrolchimico e Laguna Viva	Wildlife Reserve	21
1996	Boschi di Cà Savio - Punta Sabbioni	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Le Vignole - La Certosa	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1996	Casse di Colmata	Wildlife Reserve	2
1996	Dune degli Alberoni	Wildlife Reserve	<1
1997	Valle Millecampi	State Nature Reserve	-
2003	Laguna di Venezia	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	80
2003	Penisola del Cavallino: biotopi litoranei	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	<1
2003	Lido di Venezia: biotopi litoranei	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land, Urban parks and gardens, Other urban and industrial areas	7
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Forest		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	30
water management	30
hunting	20
urban/industrial/transport	10
agriculture	5
tourism/recreation	5
nature conservation and research	5

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Venice lagoon (Italy). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/venice-lagoon-iba-italy on 23/11/2024.