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close| Location | Portugal, Madeiran Archipelago |
| Central coordinates | 17o 2.00' West 32o 47.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A2, B3, C1, C2, C6 |
| Area | 15,242 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 1,455m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2002 |
Ornithological information Columba trocaz is strongly associated to laurissilva, its main habitat. Here, we can find many other interesting species like Puffinus puffinus who breeds in some highly vegetated upstream banks, or Accipiter nisus grantii who hunts in forest's limit areas. Scolopax rusticola resides and breeds here, far away from its habitual reproduction area. Calonectris diomedea breeds sparsely in this area. Although its populations are not well known here, Bulweria bulwerii and Oceanodroma castro are frequently observed. At steepest areas several Apus unicolor colonies are found, and some Serinus canaria in openest zones. In addition to that, is important the presence of some endemic sub-species: Motacilla cinerea schmitzi, Fingilla coelebs maderiensis, Regulus ignicapillus madeirensis or Erithacus rubecula microrynchus.
Site description Extensive forest area that covers near 25% of Madeira island. Is mainly located in the northern half of the island. The majority vegetation is constituted by native forest (laurissilva) and associated species. Steep banks, deep valleys and abrupt slopes are all around the area, this and the dense vegetaton become inaccessible some places.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cory's Shearwater Calonectris diomedea | breeding | 2000 | frequent [units unknown] | - | C6 | Least Concern |
| Bulwer's Petrel Bulweria bulwerii | breeding | 2000 | rare [units unknown] | - | C6 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus | breeding | 2002 | frequent [units unknown] | - | C2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Madeira Laurel Pigeon Columba trocaz | resident | 2002 | 4,142-16,910 individuals | medium | A1, A2, C1, C2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Plain Swift Apus unicolor | breeding | 2002 | common [units unknown] | - | A2, B3 | Least Concern |
| Island Canary Serinus canaria | resident | 2002 | frequent [units unknown] | - | A2 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Achadas da Cruz - PTMAD0005 | Habitats Directive | 206 | protected area overlaps with site | 16 | |
| Laurisilva da Madeira - PTMAD0001 | Birds Directive | 13,355 | protected area overlaps with site | 14,934 | |
| Maciço Montanhoso Central da Ilha da Madeira - PTMAD0002 | Habitats Directive | 8,212 | protected area overlaps with site | 1,309 | |
| Maciço Montanhoso Oriental da Ilha da Madeira - PTZPE0041 | Birds Directive | 3,390 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 | |
| Madeira | Nature Park | 28,000 | protected area contains site | 0 |
|
| Site 934 | World Heritage Convention | 0 | protected area contains site | 0 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Broadleaved evergreen woodland; Mixed woodland; Native coniferous woodland | - |
| Grassland | Humid grasslands | - |
| Wetlands (inland) | Rivers and streams | - |
| Sea | Sea inlets and coastal features | - |
| Caves | Caves | - |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | Arable land; Forestry plantations; Perennial crops, orchards and groves | - |
| Introduced/exotic vegetation | - | |
| Rocky areas | Inland cliffs | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| forestry | - |
| hunting | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| water management | - |
Management considerations Although to be classified as World Heritage Site since 1999, laurissilva is not exempt of conservation problems. Illegal hunt of columba trocaz or ousting of garbage and lands are some of them. The cattle, cows and sheeps, grazes freely in some areas, and constitutes a serious threat, although it is to be made an effort to restrict this and to recuperate the zone. The same inacessibility that confers laurissilva its importance, causes fiscalization problems, access difficulties to fires or imperfections of knowledge of some populations, namely seabirds. The agriculturists who exert its activity in the area of Madeira's Nature Park can benefit of prevention measures for columba's attacks to the cultures. Due to the great dimension of the area, and the percentage of the island that covers, laurissilva is threatened too by the construction of roads and other infrastructures that could fragmentate it and diminish its essential homogeneity.
Protection status National Nature Park of Madeira, Special Protection Area Laurissilva (PTMAD0001)International Special Protection Area Laurissilva, UNESCO World Heritage Site (site no934)
References Bannerman & Bannerman (1989), Jones et al.(1989), Jones (1990), Câmara (1995), Hagemeijer & Blair (1997), Menezes (1997), Oliveira (1999).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Laurissilva. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013
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