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PT027
Mourão, Moura e Barrancos
Location Portugal, Alentejo
Central coordinates 7o 10.00' West  38o 8.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3, C1, C2, C6
Area 80,564 ha
Altitude 150 - 535m
Year of IBA assessment 2002

Sociedade Portuguesa para o Estudo das Aves



Ornithological information An important breeding area for many species of steppic habitats, especially raptors, as well as the most important wintering locality for Grus grus in Portugal.

Site description The area is a mixture of non-intensive cereal cultivation, semi-permanent pasture, and evergreen woodland of oak Quercus ilex and Q. suber. Rivers are bordered locally by vegetation and cliffs. The area is grazed by sheep and cattle, and there are small olive-groves and vineyards. Housing density is very low.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Black Stork Ciconia nigra breeding  1996  5-8 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
White Stork Ciconia ciconia breeding  1996  60-100 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Black-winged Kite Elanus caeruleus resident  1996  6-10 breeding pairs  medium  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Black Kite Milvus migrans breeding  1996  8-15 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Short-toed Snake-eagle Circaetus gallicus breeding  1996  8-15 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus breeding  1996  20-40 breeding pairs  medium  B3, C6  Least Concern 
Spanish Imperial Eagle Aquila adalberti non-breeding  1996  2-4 individuals  medium  C6  Vulnerable 
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos resident  1996  3 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Booted Eagle Hieraaetus pennatus breeding  1996  10-15 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Great Bustard Otis tarda resident  1996  80-100 breeding pairs  good  A1, B2, C1, C6  Vulnerable 
Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax resident  1996  250-1,930 males only  good  A1, B2, C1, C6  Near Threatened 
Common Crane Grus grus winter  1996  500-1,500 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus resident  1996  100-250 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola breeding  1996  6-10 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Black-bellied Sandgrouse Pterocles orientalis resident  1996  11-50 breeding pairs  medium  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo resident  1996  6-10 breeding pairs  medium  B2, C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Moura / Barrancos - PTCON0053 Habitats Directive 43,309 protected area overlaps with site 34,394  
Mourão/Moura/Barrancos - PTZPE0045 Birds Directive 84,916 protected area contained by site 75,100  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved evergreen woodland  -
Grassland Steppes and dry calcareous grassland  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Perennial crops, orchards and groves  -
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 65%
forestry 35%

Management considerations Birds are disturbed by increasing road traffic in the region.

Protection status National None International PartialIBA overlaps with Special Protection Area.

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Mourão, Moura e Barrancos. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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