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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2002 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter (1995)	870 birds	A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	LC	passage (1995)	600 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Bean Goose Anser fabalis	LC	winter (1995)	10,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	passage (1995)	15,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca	NT	breeding (1995)	2 pairs	C6
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	passage (1997)	2,000 birds	B1i, C3
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding (1997)	2–6 pairs	C6
Little Crake Zapornia parva	LC	breeding (2001)	1 pairs	C6
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage (1995)	5,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding (1995)	20–25 pairs	C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding (1995)	2–6 pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding (2001)	1 pairs	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage (1997)	4,000 birds	C6
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	passage (1995)	300 birds	C6
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	LC	passage (1995)	40 birds	C6
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	LC	breeding (2001)	5 pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding (2001)	6 pairs	C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	resident (-)	1 pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	breeding (2001)	1 pairs	C6
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	LC	breeding (2001)	5–7 pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (1995–1997)	26,940 birds	A4iii, C4

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1979	Flusslandschaft Elbe	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA)	100
1990	Aland-Elbe-Niederung	Landschaftschutzgebiet (V)	88
1990	Garbe-Alandniederung	Nature Reserve (IV)	46
1990	Eibaue Beuster-Wahrenberg	Nature Reserve (IV)	49
2009	Aland-Elbe-Niederung	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	100

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	-	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes; Arable land; Ruderal land
Forest	-	Alluvial and very wet forest
Grassland	-	Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands
Shrubland	-	Scrub
Wetlands (inland)	-	Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation; Fens, transition mires and springs

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-
urban/industrial/transport	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Aland-Elbe lowlands (Germany). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/aland-elbe-lowlands-iba-germany on 23/12/2024.