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

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	LC	breeding	1990-2000	5 breeding pairs	C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	1990-2000	3 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	winter	1990-2000	3 individuals	C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1990-2000	1 breeding pairs	C6
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	winter	1990-2000	50 individuals	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage	1997	120 individuals	C6
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	passage	1990-2000	8 individuals	C6
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	winter	1990-2000	20 individuals	C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	winter	1990-2000	65 individuals	C6
Red Kite Milvus milvus	LC	winter	1990-2000	16 individuals	C6
Black Kite Milvus migrans	LC	passage	1990-2000	17 individuals	C6

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2002) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1966	Bertenau	Landschaftschutzgebiet	3
1966	Bertenau	Landscape Protection Area	3
1968	Schwaighölzer	Landschaftschutzgebiet	<1
1968	Schwaighölzer	Landscape Protection Area	<1
1969	Dillinger Au	Landschaftschutzgebiet	2
1969	Dillinger Au	Landscape Protection Area	1
1971	Firnhabermoos (Mertinger Hölle)	Landschaftschutzgebiet	2
1971	Firnhabermoos (Mertinger Hölle)	Landscape Protection Area	3
1973	Schutz der Donau-Auen in den Städten Lauingen und Dillingen an der Donau	Landschaftschutzgebiet	3
1973	Schutz des Großen Topfen, Kleinen Dopfen und Dopfengraben	Landscape Protection Area	-
1973	Schutz der Donau-Auen in den Städten Lauingen und Dillingen an der Donau	Landscape Protection Area	3
1978	Naturwaldreservat Neugeschüttwörth	Naturschutzgebiet	1
1980	Am Langweidlegraben östlich von Heißesheim	Landschaftschutzgebiet	<1
1980	Altwasser bei Rettingen	Landschaftschutzgebiet	<1
1980	Altwasser bei Donauwörth	Landscape Protection Area	<1
1980	Am Langweidlegraben östlich von Heißesheim	Landscape Protection Area	1
1980	Altwasser bei Rettingen	Landscape Protection Area	<1
1984	Mertinger Hölle	Naturschutzgebiet	2
1985	Gschwellhau	Landschaftschutzgebiet	1
1985	Gschwellhau	Landscape Protection Area	2
1993	Donau-Auen zwischen Blindheim und Tapfheim	Landschaftschutzgebiet	10
1993	Donau-Auen zwischen Blindheim und Tapfheim	Landscape Protection Area	15
1997	Apfelwörth	Naturschutzgebiet	3
1998	Donauauen Blindheim-Donaumünster	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	17
1998	Donau-Auen zwischen Thalfingen und Höchstädt	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	10
1998	Mertinger Hölle und umgebende Feuchtgebiete	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	8
2000	Niederterrassenwälder zwischen Fristingen und Lauterbach	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
2001	Wiesenbrüterlebensraum Schwäbisches Donauried	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	30
2004	Westerried nördlich Wertingen	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2004	Nebel-; Kloster- und Brunnenbach	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2006	Donauauen	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	31

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	-
Forest	Alluvial and very wet forest	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Raised bogs	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Donau-Auen and Donau-Ried: Höchstädt - Donauwörth (Germany). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/donau-auen-and-donau-ried:-höchstädt--donauwörth-iba-germany on 22/11/2024.