El Hondo wetland (1824)
Spain, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1a, A1c, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2011
National site name: El Hondo - Carrizales de Elche
Central coordinates: Latitude: 38.3333, Longitude: -0.7000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 38.45785
Protected area coverage (%): 93.03
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Two reservoirs with reedbeds (Phragmites) and surrounded by small brackish and freshwater lakes. The main human activities are hunting and fishing.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: This is a very important wetland for breeding and wintering waterbirds.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (5%) | fisheries/aquaculture (60%) | hunting (80%) | nature conservation and research (10%) | water management (60%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 95 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Threats include a channel in which juvenile ducks become trapped every year, lead poisoning from spent shot (`Other' threats, above) and a recent severe drought. Oxyura jamaicensis has been hybridizing with O. leucocephala since 1992, although all hybrids have been killed. Conservation NGOs have successfully campaigned for a hunting ban although there are still some problems.