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Country/Territory |
France |
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Administrative region(s) |
Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur |
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Central coordinates |
43o 31' North 4o 36' East Map
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Area |
76500 ha |
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Altitude |
0 - 2m |
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Criteria |
A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C4, C6 |
Site description The largest wetland area in France, comprising a large delta with beaches, sand-dunes, islands, saltwater lagoons, marshes, and slow-flowing rivers; woodlands, grasslands and agricultural land. |
Habitats and percentage cover | Coastline | - | Wetlands (inland) | - |
| Land-use and percentage cover | agriculture | - | fisheries/aquaculture | - | hunting | - | tourism/recreation | - | urban/industrial/transport | - |
Birds This is one of the most important sites for birds in France, regularly holding more than 20,000 waterbirds breeding, on passage and in winter. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet criteria: Falco naumanni (passage). |
| Species | Season | Year | Min | Max | Units | Quality | Criteria | Tundra Swan
(Cygnus columbianus) | winter | 1997 | 4 | 120 | individuals | - | B2 | Common Shelduck
(Tadorna tadorna) | winter | 1997 | 1307 | 2781 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Gadwall
(Anas strepera) | winter | 1997 | 6640 | 13570 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Eurasian Wigeon
(Anas penelope) | winter | 1997 | 10170 | 15010 | individuals | - | B1i, C3 | Mallard
(Anas platyrhynchos) | winter | 1997 | 13466 | 30800 | individuals | - | B1i, C3 | Northern Shoveler
(Anas clypeata) | winter | 1997 | 6220 | 13815 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Common Teal
(Anas crecca) | winter | 1997 | 16182 | 25300 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Red-crested Pochard
(Netta rufina) | winter | 1997 | 500 | 2110 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Red-crested Pochard
(Netta rufina) | breeding | 1997 | 200 | 300 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Greater Flamingo
(Phoenicopterus roseus) | breeding | 1997 | 10000 | 18000 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, B2, C2 | Great Bittern
(Botaurus stellaris) | breeding | 1991 | 25 | 50 | breeding pairs | - | B2, C2, C6 | Black-crowned Night-heron
(Nycticorax nycticorax) | breeding | 1991 | 300 | 300 | breeding pairs | - | C2, C6 | Squacco Heron
(Ardeola ralloides) | breeding | 1991 | 50 | 50 | breeding pairs | - | B2, C2, C6 | Purple Heron
(Ardea purpurea) | breeding | 1991 | 400 | 400 | breeding pairs | - | B2, C2, C6 |
(Egretta garzetta) | winter | 1997 | 13 | 1289 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C2 |
(Egretta garzetta) | breeding | 1997 | 1000 | 1000 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, C2, C6 | Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo) | winter | 1997 | 1 | 2783 | individuals | - | B1i, C3 | Great Cormorant
(Phalacrocorax carbo) | passage | 1997 | 6000 | 6000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Western Marsh-harrier
(Circus aeruginosus) | breeding | 1997 | 50 | 80 | breeding pairs | - | C6 | Common Coot
(Fulica atra) | winter | 1997 | 16500 | 30779 | individuals | - | B1i, C3 | Eurasian Oystercatcher
(Haematopus ostralegus) | breeding | 1997 | 50 | 97 | breeding pairs | - | B1i, C3 | Black-winged Stilt
(Himantopus himantopus) | breeding | 1996 | 195 | 219 | breeding pairs | - | B1i, C2 | Pied Avocet
(Recurvirostra avosetta) | winter | 1997 | 599 | 1944 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, B2, C2 | Pied Avocet
(Recurvirostra avosetta) | breeding | 1997 | 439 | 439 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6 | Common Ringed Plover
(Charadrius hiaticula) | passage | 1997 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Kentish Plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus) | breeding | 1997 | 145 | 170 | breeding pairs | - | B2 | Kentish Plover
(Charadrius alexandrinus) | passage | 1997 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Black-tailed Godwit
(Limosa limosa) | passage | 1997 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Spotted Redshank
(Tringa erythropus) | passage | 1997 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Curlew Sandpiper
(Calidris ferruginea) | passage | 1991 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C3 | Collared Pratincole
(Glareola pratincola) | breeding | 1996 | 8 | 20 | breeding pairs | - | C6 | Slender-billed Gull
(Larus genei) | breeding | 1997 | 580 | 800 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, C2 | Mediterranean Gull
(Larus melanocephalus) | breeding | 1997 | 600 | 700 | breeding pairs | - | C2 | Gull-billed Tern
(Sterna nilotica) | breeding | 1996 | 300 | 300 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 | Caspian Tern
(Sterna caspia) | passage | 1991 | 10 | 100 | individuals | - | B1i, C2 | Sandwich Tern
(Sterna sandvicensis) | breeding | 1997 | 670 | 1000 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, B2, C2 | Common Tern
(Sterna hirundo) | breeding | 1991 | 500 | 1500 | breeding pairs | - | B1i, C2, C6 | Little Tern
(Sterna albifrons) | breeding | 1991 | 70 | 350 | breeding pairs | - | A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6 | Whiskered Tern
(Chlidonias hybrida) | breeding | 1996 | 0 | 10 | breeding pairs | - | C6 | Whiskered Tern
(Chlidonias hybrida) | passage | 1996 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C2 | Black Tern
(Chlidonias niger) | passage | 1991 | 1000 | 10000 | individuals | - | A4i, B1i, C2 | European Roller
(Coracias garrulus) | breeding | 1991 | 10 | 100 | breeding pairs | - | B2, C2, C6 | Subalpine Warbler
(Sylvia cantillans) | breeding | 1991 | 100 | 500 | breeding pairs | - | B3 | | |
Protection status National Partial International High13,117 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (La Camargue, 13,117 ha). 3,481 ha of IBA covered by Private Reserve (Tour du Valat, 3,481). 16,000 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Camargue, 16,000 ha). 76,500 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Camargue, 85,000 ha). 13,117 ha of IBA covered by Biosphere Reserve (13,117 ha). |
Conservation issues The area is threatened by the development of rice fields with associated modifications of water-levels, tourist development, the use of toxic chemicals in agriculture and air pollution from the chemical plants in Fos-sur-Mer. |
Threats and importance | agricultural intensification/expansion | unknown | industrialization/urbanization | unknown | infrastructure | high | recreation/tourism | high |
Recommended Citation BirdLife International (2009) Important Bird Area factsheet: Camargue, France. Downloaded from the Data Zone at http://www.birdlife.org on 9/2/2010 |
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