Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2000 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus | LC | breeding (1994) | 775 breeding pairs | B3 |
| Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus | LC | breeding (1994) | 240 breeding pairs | B3 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (1994) | 175 breeding pairs | C6 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | LC | breeding (1994) | 1,356 breeding pairs | A4i, B1i, B2, C6 |
| Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle | LC | breeding (1994) | 490 breeding pairs | B1ii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2000. The most recent assessment (2010) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2010 | favourable | very high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | 1 / 1 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle | 1,900 / 1,900 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | whole population/area (>90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Other | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid deterioration (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| 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 | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981 | Waters around Hirsholmene | Major Conservation Area (-) | 100 |
| 1992 | Frederikshavn Kommune | §3 beskyttet natur (alle søer, moser, vandløb, heder, enge mv) (IV) | 2 |
| 1994 | Hirsholmene | Baltic Sea Protected Area (Helcom) (UA) | 100 |
| 2009 | Hirsholmene, havet vest herfor og Ellinge Å’s udløb | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 93 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 100 |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 100 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hirsholmene (Denmark). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hirsholmene-iba-denmark on 24/01/2025.