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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 IBA criteria.

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

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter (1990–1999)	1,900 individuals	A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	LC	passage (1990–1999)	2,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	passage (1990–1999)	350 individuals	C2, C6
Bean Goose Anser fabalis	LC	passage (1990–1999)	35,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	passage (1997)	17,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	passage (1990–1999)	400 individuals	B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	passage (1990–1999)	600 individuals	B1i, C3
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	resident (1997)	10–20 breeding pairs	C6
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	5–21 breeding pairs	C1
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	LC	resident (1997)	5–10 breeding pairs	B1i
Little Crake Zapornia parva	LC	resident (1997)	2–5 breeding pairs	C6
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	winter (1990–1999)	4,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	30–32 breeding pairs	C6
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	110 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding (1997)	2 breeding pairs	B1i, C2
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage (1990–1999)	4,200 individuals	C6
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus	NT	passage (1990–1999)	77,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	1 breeding pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	30–35 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	passage (1997)	29 individuals	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	3 breeding pairs	C6
Black Woodpecker Dryocopus martius	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	50–80 breeding pairs	C6
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	300–400 breeding pairs	C6
Common Nightingale Luscinia megarhynchos	LC	breeding (1990–1999)	800–1,500 breeding pairs	B3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (1991–1999)	137,050 individuals	A4iii, C4

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1965	NSG Heideweiher Visse	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1972	Heideweiher	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1972	Kuhwinkel	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1979	Flusslandschaft Elbe	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA)	100
1990	Elbdeichhinterland	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	2
1990	Elbdeichvorland	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1
1990	Rambower Torfmoor	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1
1990	Werder Kietz	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Werder Besandten	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Krähenfuß	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Lenzen-Wustrower Elbniederung	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	2
1990	Mendeluch	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Elbdeichvorland	Nature Reserve (IV)	1
1990	Gadow	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1
1990	Werder Mödlich	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Krötenluch	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Mörickeluch	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1990	Kranichteich	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
1998	Brandenburgische Elbtalaue	Landschaftschutzgebiet (V)	100
2002	Jackel	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1
2003	Plattenburg	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1
2003	Gandower Schweineweide	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	<1
2004	Wittenberge-Rühstädter Elbniederung	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	4
2008	Perleberger Schießplatz	Naturschutzgebiet (IV)	1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	-	Arable land
Forest	-	Alluvial and very wet forest
Grassland	-	Humid grasslands
Wetlands (inland)	-	Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
forestry	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lower Elbe valley (Germany). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lower-elbe-valley-iba-germany on 16/01/2025.