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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2016 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.

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

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus	LC	breeding (2011–2015)	8–10 breeding pairs	C6
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius	LC	breeding (2011–2015)	22–27 breeding pairs	C6
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio	LC	breeding (2011–2015)	36–46 breeding pairs	C6
Woodlark Lullula arborea	LC	breeding (2011–2015)	143–150 breeding pairs	C6

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2016. The most recent assessment (2017) is shown below.

State (condition of the key species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
European Honey-buzzard Pernis apivorus	8 / 8 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius	22 / 30 (breeding pairs)	74	near favourable
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio	36 / 20 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable
Woodlark Lullula arborea	143 / 110 (breeding pairs)	100	favourable

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A compre­hensive and appropriate manage­ment plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the popul­ations of qualify­ing bird species	Not assessed	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Bouwersveld	Nature Reserve with Management Subsidy (-)	1
-	Doldersummer Veld	Nature Reserve with Management Subsidy (-)	6
-	Vledderhof	Nature Reserve with Management Subsidy (-)	2
-	Boswachterij Appelscha	Nature Reserve (-)	28
-	Boswachterij Smilde	Nature Reserve (-)	37
-	Kern Boswachterij Vledderveld	Nature Reserve (-)	2
1956	Berkenheuvel	Nature Conservation Law (IV)	15
1996	Drents-Friese Woud	National Park (-)	93
1999	Drents-Friese Wold	Nationaal Park (II)	82
2010	Drents-Friese Wold & Leggelderveld	Natuurbeschermingswet (IV)	100

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	90	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes; Forestry plantations
Shrubland	10	Heathland

Land use	% of IBA
water management	100
hunting	100
nature conservation and research	84
tourism/recreation	50
forestry	30

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Drents-Friese Wold & Leggelderveld (Netherlands). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/drents-friese-wold-&-leggelderveld-iba-netherlands on 13/01/2025.