Vila Fernando (380)
Portugal, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1d
Year of last assessment: 2008
National site name: Vila Fernando/Veiros
Central coordinates: Latitude: 38.9000, Longitude: -7.3500
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 300 to 470
Area of KBA (km2): 74.85789
Protected area coverage (%): 91.73
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Steppic agricultural land of wheat-fields and dry pasture, with scattered evergreen oak Quercus woodland. Land-uses include cultivation and livestock-grazing. There is scattered human habitation. This site has two different areas, area of Vila Fernando and area of veiros, that are separated 10 km In the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989), this site was called Elvas Plains (former site PT028).
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: Important for breeding birds of steppic habitats, specially for population of Otis tarda that uses the two areas, Vila Fernando and Veiros. Significant proportion (1%) of national population breeding at site: Circus pygargus (8-10 pairs).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (80%) | forestry (20%) | hunting
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 20 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 80 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Nesting birds are disturbed by increasing road-traffic in the region, intensification/expansion of agriculture and afforestation.Also the increase of cattle causes a loss of ornitologic value, specially for steppic species.
Additional information
References: Pinto & Hellmich (1996)