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The site was identified as important in 2016 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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	444-561 individuals	C6
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter	2011-2015	241-418 individuals	B3
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	457-1,237 individuals	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	60,335-78,286 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	24,911-25,825 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	27,203-30,011 individuals	B1i, C3
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	VU	non-breeding	2011-2015	36-76 individuals	A1, C1, C6
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	1,573-2,044 individuals	B1i, C3
Gadwall Mareca strepera	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	5,145-6,910 individuals	B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	1,828-2,338 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	298-499 individuals	B1i, C2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	non-breeding	2011-2015	1,787-2,961 individuals	B1i, C3
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	1,010-1,539 individuals	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	62 individuals	C6
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	30-40 individuals	C6
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	1 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	breeding	2011-2015	1 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	4 individuals	C6
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	1,750-2,200 breeding pairs	B3
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	LC	breeding	2011-2015	242-273 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	2011-2015	32,986-37,951 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2016) may differ.

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 trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	10	241	individuals	100	favourable
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	140	457	individuals	100	favourable
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	1,700	17,580	individuals	100	favourable
Greylag Goose Anser anser	11,000	24,911	individuals	100	favourable
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	190	27,203	individuals	100	favourable
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	40	36	individuals	90	near favourable
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	290	1,573	individuals	100	favourable
Gadwall Mareca strepera	900	5,145	individuals	100	favourable
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	510	1,828	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	80	298	individuals	100	favourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	260	1,308	individuals	100	favourable
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	10	30	individuals	100	favourable
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	4	1	breeding pairs	25	very unfavourable
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	1	4	individuals	100	favourable
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus	1,900	1,750	breeding pairs	93	favourable
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	120	242	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other 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	Unknown	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Lauwersmeer	Nature Conservation Law	80
-	Bochtjesplaat	Nature Reserve	1
-	Bantpolder	Nature Conservation Law	2
1991	Lauwersmeer	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1994	Lauwersmeer II	Natural Monument	3
1994	Lauwersmeer I	Natural Monument	96
2000	Lauwersmeer	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
2003	Lauwersmeer	Nationaal Park	97
2010	Lauwersmeer	Natuurbeschermingswet	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land, Forestry plantations	51
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		44
Unknown		5

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
water management	100
nature conservation and research	73
tourism/recreation	65
military	35
urban/industrial/transport	26
fisheries/aquaculture	25
agriculture	10
hunting	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lauwersmeer (Netherlands). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lauwersmeer-iba-netherlands on 23/11/2024.