Ponta da Ilha e Terra Alta (19709)
Portugal, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2002
National site name: Ponta da Ilha e Terra Alta
Central coordinates: Latitude: 38.4333, Longitude: -28.0667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 150
Area of KBA (km2): 1.94465
Protected area coverage (%): 82.27
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A IBA é constituída por duas zonas: a zona da Terra Alta que se estende ao longo de uma faixa costeira entre a beira-mar e o rebordo da falésia, desde o Porto da Baixa até à Ribeira das Gramelas, sendo uma escarpa com mato macaronésico no topo, com muitas grutas e reentrâncias. A segunda zona vai desde a Baía da Fonte até à zona do marco geodésico do Castelete Norte e é constituída por uma zona costeira de escoadas lávicas, praias de rocha e ilhéus.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Important for Roseate Tern , but also for Cory's Shearwater and Little Shearwater, although not reaching international criteria for the last two species.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Introduced Vegetation | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Feral terrestrial mammals (dogs, cats, rats and weasels) affect most of the seabirds, especially those who nest in holes and burrows but also the colonies of terns. Predation of terns by cats were confirmed in the colony of Ponta da Ilha. Invasive plant species like the cane reduces the available nesting habitat for seabirds. The eggs of the petrels are often stolen from their nests. The absence of the establishment of the SPA by the regional law constitutes a weakness in its surveillance and legal protection