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 (-) | 1,000–1,500 pairs | C2, C6 |
| Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan | VU | breeding (-) | 100–150 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 |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | low |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Irdumijiet Ta' Madwar il-Kosta miċ-Ċirkewwa sa Bengħisa | Żona ta' Importanza Ekoloġika (IV) | 85 |
| 1996 | Diversi Rdumijiet | Żoni ta' Sbuħija Naturali (V) | 83 |
| 2003 | Rdumijiet ta' Malta | Żoni Speċjali ta' Konservazzjoni - Importanza Internazzjonali (IV) | 91 |
| 2008 | Rdumijiet ta' Malta: Wied Moqbol sal-Ponta ta' Bengħisa | Żoni ta' Ħarsien Speċjali (IV) | 91 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: West of Wied ix-Xaqqa to Wied Maqbyl Cliffs (Malta). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/west-of-wied-ix-xaqqa-to-wied-maqbyl-cliffs-iba-malta on 23/12/2024.