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FR146
Val d'Allier Bourbonnais
Location France, Auvergne
Central coordinates 3o 24.00' East  46o 28.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Area 17,900 ha
Altitude 200 m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Ligue Pour La Protection des Oiseaux



Ornithological information The site is important for wintering waterfowl. Sterna hirundo and S. albifrons breed on natural gravel islets. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria; Aythya nyroca (passage, wintering); Haliaeetus albicilla (passage, wintering); Tetrax tetrax (passage).

Site description The River Allier with alluvial sand beaches and islets, marshes, ponds, riverine forest and arable fields.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus winter  1991  15 individuals  -  B2  Least Concern 
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax breeding  1991  210-250 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Little Egret Egretta garzetta breeding  1991  20-35 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Black Kite Milvus migrans breeding  1991  20-40 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus breeding  1991  5-10 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus breeding  1991  5-10 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Common Crane Grus grus passage  1997  1,000-10,000 individuals  -  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus breeding  1991  50-200 breeding pairs  -  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  1991  50-100 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  1991  20-40 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis breeding  1991  15-30 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
BASSE SIOULE - FR8301017 Habitats Directive 593 protected area overlaps with site 66  
MASSIF FORESTIER DES PRIEURES: Moladier, Bagnolet et Messarges - FR8302022 Habitats Directive 2,833 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Val d'Allier National Nature Reserve 1,450 protected area contained by site 1,450  
Val d'Allier Bourbonnais - FR8310079 Birds Directive 18,093 protected area overlaps with site 16,973  
VAL D'ALLIER BOURGUIGNON - FR2600969 Habitats Directive 952 protected area overlaps with site 459  
Vallées de la Loire et de l'Allier entre Mornay-sur-Allier et Neuvy-sur-Loire - FR2610004 Birds Directive 13,815 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
VALLEE DE L'ALLIER NORD - FR8301015 Habitats Directive 4,207 protected area overlaps with site 3,881  
VALLEE DE L'ALLIER SUD - FR8301016 Habitats Directive 1,938 protected area overlaps with site 1,186  
VALLEES DE LA LOIRE ET DE L'ALLIER - FR2400522 Habitats Directive 4,069 protected area is adjacent to site 0  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Alluvial and very wet forest  -
Shrubland Heathland  -
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
fisheries/aquaculture -
hunting -
tourism/recreation -
urban/industrial/transport -

Management considerations The area is threatened by proposed dams, the expansion of recreational activities and new gravel-pits.

Protection status National Partial International Partial1,450 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Val d'Allier, 1,450 ha). 1,300 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Val d'Allier, 1,300 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Val d'Allier Bourbonnais. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife