Data Zone
Country/territory: Portugal
IBA criteria met: A1, B2, C1, C6 (2008)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 8,166 hectares (81.66 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2008 | good | not assessed | not assessed |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2002 baseline)
Steppic agricultural land of wheat-fields and dry pasture, with scattered evergreen oak Quercus woodland. Land-uses include cultivation and livestock-grazing. There is scattered human habitation. This site has two different areas, area of Vila Fernando and area of veiros, that are separated 10 km In the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989), this site was called Elvas Plains (former site PT028).
Key biodiversity
Important for breeding birds of steppic habitats, specially for population of Otis tarda that uses the two areas, Vila Fernando and Veiros. Significant proportion (1%) of national population breeding at site: Circus pygargus (8-10 pairs).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Vila Fernando (Portugal). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/vila-fernando-iba-portugal on 23/12/2024.