NW Dalmatia and Pag Island (24006)
Croatia, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2010
National site name: SZ Dalmacija i Pag
Central coordinates: Latitude: 44.3660, Longitude: 15.1530
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 347
Area of KBA (km2): 598.88099
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The only extensive area with mud and sand flats and coasts, wide shallow bays, lagoons and straits in the Croatian littoral. Area includes Pag and Nin saltpans and small ponds («blato») on the islands of Pag (Velo, Malo and Kolansko) and river mouths (Zrmanja, Karisnica etc). It is the most important wintering area for waders, divers, Sandwich Tern, sea ducks and grebes, and the most important breeding site for Kentish Plover in Croatia. The area is an important stopover site for waders during migration. Extensive xeric grasslands are the most important nesting site of Stone Curlew in Croatia. The main threats to birds are destruction of mud and sand flats, illegal building, excessive or illegal hunting, unregulated recreational activities and tourism and changes in traditional farming.
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.
Delineation rationale: Area changed from 72387 ha to 60677 ha, as part of 2010 revision of IBAs/proposed SPAs.