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PT005
Upper River Douro and Águeda valleys
Location Portugal, Centro,Norte
Central coordinates 6o 46.00' West  41o 4.00' North
IBA criteria B2, C2, C6
Area 50,744 ha
Altitude 150 - 771m
Year of IBA assessment 2002

Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves



Ornithological information The cliffs provide exceptionally good breeding habitat for raptors and other soaring birds that feed in near plateaus where agricultural and cattle breeding activities are developed. Is also important for mediterranean and pseudo-steppic birds.

Site description The central area of the site is constituted by little plateaus cross-cut by river valleis that run up to river Douro, where abound marshes rounded by hedgerows, crop-lands, vineyards, etc...Shrublands of cistus, genistas and holm oak are also important and forest of oaks and cork trees.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Black Stork Ciconia nigra breeding  -  11-25 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus resident  -  20-25 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus breeding  -  51-75 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Endangered 
Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus resident  1996  320-325 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos resident  -  11-15 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciatus resident  -  10-20 breeding pairs  good  B2, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo resident  -  11-50 breeding pairs  medium  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax resident  -  50-100 breeding pairs  medium  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura resident  2001  frequent [units unknown]  -  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Douro Internacional Nature Park 87,011 protected area contains site 50,744  
Douro Internacional - PTCON0022 Habitats Directive 36,187 protected area overlaps with site 33,755  
Douro Internacional e Vale do Águeda - PTZPE0038 Birds Directive 50,789 protected area overlaps with site 47,650  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Broadleaved evergreen woodland  -
Shrubland Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis; Scrub  -
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater  -
Rocky areas Inland cliffs  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Perennial crops, orchards and groves  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
hunting -
nature conservation and research -
tourism/recreation -
water management -
fisheries/aquaculture -

Management considerations The area is almost undisturbed by human activities, although important cliff-nesting species are sometimes disturbed by boating and fishing in the reservoirs along the cliffs. The ongoing abandonment of cultivation and sheep-raising will reduce the food resources currently available for the large raptors.

Protection status National:Parque Natural do Douro Internacional, 85,146 ha, includes all the IBA.Special Protection Area Douro Internacional e Vale do rio Águeda, 50744ha overlaps with IBA.SIC proposal Douro Internacional,36187ha, includes 33756ha of IBA.International:Special Protection Area Douro Internacional e Vale do rio Águeda, Candidature SIC Douro Internacional.

References Araujo, Neves & Rufino(1994)Monteiro (1995,1999,2000)Berliner(1996,2001)S:N:P:R:C:N.(1992)

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Upper River Douro and Águeda valleys. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013

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