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close| Location | Portugal, Centro |
| Central coordinates | 7o 4.00' West 40o 53.00' North |
| IBA criteria | B2, C6 |
| Area | 23,727 ha |
| Altitude | 130 - 652m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2002 |
Ornithological information The site holds important numbers of cliff-nesting bird species. The breeding population of Neophron percnopterus occurs in this area and it is one of the most important in Portugal.It is siginificative the number of Aquila chrysaetos, Hieraaetus fasciatus and too for Oenanthe leucura that occurs in arid areas of IBA.Also there are several passerines.
Site description This site, located in the region of Beira Alta, includes a part of the Côa Valley, a steep valley with cliffs and rock formation of granites and schists.The vegetation is scrub of Genista with dispersed woodland of oak (Q.ilex) while in thermophile areas is present broom.Olive and almond plantations are the agriculture of this region. Also there is shepherding in the plain areas or soft slopes.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Stork Ciconia nigra | breeding | 2001 | 1 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Red Kite Milvus milvus | resident | 2001 | 1-5 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Near Threatened |
| Black Kite Milvus migrans | breeding | 2001 | 10-20 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Egyptian Vulture Neophron percnopterus | breeding | 2001 | 6-8 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Endangered |
| Griffon Vulture Gyps fulvus | resident | 2001 | 15-20 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos | resident | 2001 | 4 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Bonelli's Eagle Aquila fasciatus | resident | 2001 | 2 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Bustard Tetrax tetrax | breeding | 2002 | 5-10 breeding pairs | medium | C6 | Near Threatened |
| Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus | breeding | 2002 | uncommon [units unknown] | - | C6 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo | resident | 2001 | 5-10 breeding pairs | medium | C6 | Least Concern |
| Black Wheatear Oenanthe leucura | resident | 2001 | frequent [units unknown] | - | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Blue Rock-thrush Monticola solitarius | resident | 2002 | common [units unknown] | - | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alto Douro Wine Region | World Heritage Convention | 0 | unknown | 0 |
|
| Vale do Côa - PTZPE0039 | Birds Directive | 20,607 | protected area contained by site | 20,607 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis | 58% |
| Wetlands (inland) | Rivers and streams | 3% |
| Rocky areas | Inland cliffs | 9% |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | Arable land; Perennial crops, orchards and groves | 30% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| hunting | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| water management | - |
Management considerations There is not any plan management to nature conservation in this site, but the management plan for Archaeologic Park of Vale do Côa is in advance stage.There are plans to build several large dams in the IBA, which will flood part of the area.progressively feeding-habitats of cliff-nesting birds have been degradaded.
Protection status National Special Protection Area Vale do Rio Côa,20628 ha overlaps with IBAArcheologic Park Vale do Côa InternationalIBA overlaps with Special Protection Area.
Related state of the world's birds case studies
References SNPRCN (1992)Araujo,Neves & Rufino(1994)Monteiro(1995)Berliner(1996,2001)Instituto do Ambiente e Desenvolvimiento(1999)
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Côa valley. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
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