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PT015
Paul do Boquilobo
Location Portugal, Alentejo
Central coordinates 8o 32.00' West  39o 22.00' North
IBA criteria B1i, B2, C2, C6
Area 432 ha
Altitude 12 - 22m
Year of IBA assessment 2002

Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves



Ornithological information One of the largest heronries in Iberia, also holding important numbers of breeding Platalea leucorodia, Milvus migrans and Chlidonias hybridus, and nationally important numbers of wintering duck.

Site description Freshwater marshes with alluvial forest and other water-fringe vegetation, located in the centre of the country, c.90 km north-east of Lisbon. The site is drained every year so that the outer areas can be cultivated but the core area is left flooded in most years. This IBA is located very close to the expanding town of Golegã.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia breeding  2002  20-40 breeding pairs  good  B1i, B2, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus breeding  1996  common [units unknown]  -  C6  Least Concern 
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax breeding  2002  30-100 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides breeding  1995  rare [units unknown]  -  C6  Least Concern 
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea breeding  2002  3-10 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Little Egret Egretta garzetta breeding  2002  200-400 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Black Kite Milvus migrans breeding  2002  common [units unknown]  -  C6  Least Concern 
Purple Swamphen Porphyrio porphyrio resident  2002  1 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida breeding  2002  1-120 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Paúl do Boquilobo UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 554 protected area contained by site 395  
Paúl do Boquilobo Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 529 protected area overlaps with site 369  
Paul do Boquilobo Nature Reserve 818 protected area contains site 369  
Paul do Boquilobo - PTZPE0008 Birds Directive 433 protected area overlaps with site 385  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Alluvial and very wet forest  -
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land  -
Introduced/exotic vegetation   -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
nature conservation and research -
water management -

Management considerations The presence of the introduced and highly invasive water- hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes causes a certain degree of ecological disruption. The site is also subject to pressure from farmers who want to intensify farming practices and increase the extent of cultivation (e.g. by further drainage). Urban expansion (Golegã) also causes problems.

Protection status National Partial International High369 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Paul do Boquilobo, 553ha). 433 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Paúl do Boquilobo, 433 ha). 395 ha of IBA covered by Biosphere Reserve (Paul do Boquilobo, 395 ha). IBA also overlaps with Ramsar Site (Paul do Boquilobo, 529 ha).

References Costa & Guedes (1996)Farinha et al. (2001)

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Paul do Boquilobo. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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