The value of rice fields as substitutes for natural wetlands for waterbirds in the Mediterranean region

The natural wetlands of the Mediterranean have been reduced to 10-20% of their original area over the past few centuries. However, the rice fields that have supplanted them in some regions may valuable habitats for waterbirds. We describe the use of rice fields by waders, gulls, terns, ducks and herons in Italy, Spain, France. Greece and Portugal where this cultivation is most prevalent in certain restricted areas. Rice field systems, including the irrigation canals, are used by a variety of waterbirds, primarily as feeding habitats, and to a lesser extent as breeding sites. The long duration of flooding allows waterbird use through winter in Spain and France: it is limited to spring in other regions. However, the heavy dependence of waterbirds on rice fields is hazardous, because rice cultivation is subject to suddenly changing agricultural practices. Threats include risk from pesticide contamination, changes in the management of rice cultures, the rapidly spreading practice of cultivating rice on dry fields, and from large-scale hydrological changes. We urge authorities to recognize the importance of rice fields for the conservation of Mediterranean waterbirds and propose that cultivation and bird conservation issues be addressed in a holistic fashion.