B1: Species of conservation concern

B1a: Globally Near Threatened species

Criterion: The site regularly holds significant numbers of a Near Threatened species (NT).

Notes: Near Threatened species were included in the previous version of criterion A1, but they no longer trigger sites of global importance. This criterion is applicable globally.

B1b: Species with an unfavourable conservation status in the region

Criterion: The site is one of the ‘n’ most important in a country for a species with an unfavourable conservation status in the region, and for which the site-protection approach is thought to be appropriate

Notes: Formerly criterion B2. This criterion is only applicable in Europe and the Middle East.

B2: Species with most of their range restricted to a region

B2a: Species with a favourable conservation status but concentrated in the region

Criterion: The site is one of the ‘n’ most important in a country for a species with a favourable conservation status in a region, but with its global range concentrated in that region, and for which the site-protection approach is thought to be appropriate.

Notes: Formerly criterion B3. This criterion is only applicable in Europe and the Middle East.

B3: Regionally important congregations

B3a: Regionally important congregations – biogeographical populations

Criterion: The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, >= 1% of a biogeographic or other distinct population of a congregatory waterbird, breeding seabird or other species.

Notes: This criterion is a unification of former criteria A4i, B1i, B1ii & B1iii (Europe), B1i & B1ii (Middle East)

B3b: Regionally important congregations – multi-species aggregations

Criterion: The site is known or thought to hold, on a regular basis, >= 20,000 waterbirds or >= 6,700 pairs of seabirds of one or more species.

Notes: Formerly part of criterion A4 (A4iii).

B3c: Regionally important congregations – bottleneck sites

Criterion: Site known or thought to exceed thresholds set for migratory species at bottleneck sites.

Notes: This criterion is a unification of former criteria A4iv & B1iv (Europe) and B1iv (Middle East).