email a friend
printable version
close| Location | Bulgaria, Burgas |
| Central coordinates | 27o 45.12' East 42o 18.13' North |
| IBA criteria | A1, A4i, B1i, B1iii, B2, C1, C2, C6 |
| Area | 3,868 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 224m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2005 |
Ornithological information The IBA is important as a breeding site for Ficedula semitorquata, and is also a notable migratory bottleneck site, where a minimum of 10,000 Ciconia ciconia pass overhead each autumn. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Phalacrocorax pygmeus (4 pairs; max. 54 in winter), Aythya nyroca (3 pairs). Significant proportion (³1%) of national population breeding at site: Ixobrychus minutus (10-15 pairs).
Site description A river mouth on the Black Sea coast with diverse habitats, including riparian forest of Fraxinus, Ulmus and Crataegus, nearby mountain ridges with broadleaved deciduous forests of Quercus, coastal freshwater marshes, rocky seashore, reedbeds of Phragmites, Typha and Schoenoplectus, sand beaches with dunes and inlets, and a small offshore island. Open fresh water is dominated by Hydrocharis, Nymphaea, and Lemna. Sand-dunes have a cover of grasses and dwarf-shrubs. There is some scrub dominated by Paliurus. Land-uses are confined to the buffer zone and unprotected areas.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yelkouan Shearwater Puffinus yelkouan | unknown | 1996 | 1-9 breeding pairs | medium | C6 | Vulnerable |
| Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides | breeding | 1998 | 11-25 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Purple Heron Ardea purpurea | breeding | 1996 | 3-25 breeding pairs | medium | C6 | Least Concern |
| Dalmatian Pelican Pelecanus crispus | passage | 1996 | 100 individuals | poor | A1, A4i, B1i, C1, C2 | Vulnerable |
| Red-footed Falcon Falco vespertinus | passage | 1996 | 1,000 individuals | medium | B1iii, C2 | Near Threatened |
| White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla | resident | 1998 | 1 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Crake Porzana parva | breeding | 1996 | 2-18 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Spotted Crake Porzana porzana | breeding | 1996 | 2-18 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Semi-collared Flycatcher Ficedula semitorquata | breeding | 1998 | 110 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Near Threatened |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alepu Lake | National Monument | 167 | protected area contained by site | 167 | |
| Maslen Nos | National Monument | 18 | protected area contained by site | 18 | |
| Pyassachni Dyuni | National Monument | 12 | protected area contained by site | 12 | |
| Ropotamo | Buffer Zone | 771 | protected area contained by site | 771 | |
| Ropotamo - BG0001001 | Habitats Directive | 12,816 | protected area contains site | 3,868 | |
| Ropotamo Complex | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 5,500 | protected area contains site | 3,868 |
|
| Ropotamo Complex - BG0002041 | Birds Directive | 3,868 | is identical to site | 3,868 | |
| Stamopolu | Protected Site | 40 | protected area contained by site | 40 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Alluvial and very wet forest; Broadleaved deciduous woodland | 71% |
| Shrubland | Sclerophyllous scrub, garrigue and maquis | 4% |
| Grassland | Steppes and dry calcareous grassland | 2% |
| Wetlands (inland) | Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters; Water fringe vegetation | - |
| Coastline | Sand dunes & beaches; Sea cliffs and rocky shores | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| tourism/recreation | 7% |
| hunting | 40% |
| forestry | 58% |
| urban/industrial/transport | 2% |
Management considerations The main problems are heavy tourist pressure, building encroachment, and changes to the water regime (caused by upstream water-abstraction, and eutrophication of marshes). The management plan for Ropotamo Complex was prepared by the Ministry of Environment under the Bulgarian-Swiss Biodiversity Conservation Programme.
Protection status National Partial International Low1,001 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Ropotamo, 1,001 ha). 167 ha of IBA covered by National Monument (Alepu lake, 167 ha). 18 ha of IBA covered by National Monument (Maslen Nos, 18 ha). 12 ha of IBA covered by National Monument (Pyassachni Dyuni, 12 ha). 40 ha of IBA covered by Protected Landscape (Stamopolu, 40 ha). 771 ha of IBA covered by Buffer Zone (Ropotamo, 771 ha). 97 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Arkoutino, 97 ha).
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Ropotamo Complex. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
|
|