• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2000 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix	LC	breeding	1996	3 breeding pairs	C6
Woodlark Lullula arborea	LC	breeding	1993	10-15 breeding pairs	C6

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2000).

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Valleien van de Laambeek; Zonderikbeek, Slangebeek en Roosterbeek met vijvergebieden.	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3,627	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Vallei van de Abeek	Erkend natuurreservaat	177	protected area overlaps with site	0
Schietveld Helchteren	Militaire domeinen onder het protocol	2,165	protected area contained by site	0
openbaar bos Limburg	Openbaar bos	20,569	protected area overlaps with site	0
Mangelbeek en heide- en vengebieden tussen Houthalen en Gruitrode	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3,768	protected area overlaps with site	2,409
Houthalen-Helchteren; Meeuwen-Gruitrode en Peer	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2,851	protected area overlaps with site	2,798
De Teut-Tenhaagdoornheide	Vlaams Ecologisch Netwerk	1,414	protected area is adjacent to site	0
De Mangel- en Winterbeek	Vlaams Ecologisch Netwerk	697	protected area overlaps with site	0
De Abeek	Vlaams Ecologisch Netwerk	582	protected area overlaps with site	0
Bocholt; Hechtel-Eksel, Meeuwen-Gruitrode, Neerpelt en Peer	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	9,863	protected area is adjacent to site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland	-
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Fens, transition mires and springs	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Forestry plantations	-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
military	-
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Gebieden gelegen te Houthalen-Helchteren en Meeuwen-Gruitrode. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/gebieden-gelegen-te-houthalen-helchteren-en-meeuwen-gruitrode-iba-belgium on 02/10/2023.