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The site was identified as important in 2007 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	winter	2001	800 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	winter	2006	5,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	2006	10,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Bean Goose Anser fabalis	LC	winter	2006	15,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	passage	2006	5,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding	2001	8-10 breeding pairs	C6
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	breeding	2003	7 breeding pairs	C6
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	LC	breeding	2002	40 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	2006	30 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	winter	2006	50 individuals	A1, C1, C6
A4iv Species group - soaring birds/cranes	n/a	passage	2006	5,000 individuals	B1iv, C5
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2006	35,000 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2018) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Artificial/Terrestrial	good (> 90%)	moderate (70-90%)	near favourable
Forest	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	River Helgeån	Private Reserve	-
-	River Helgean	Nature Reserve	-
1968	Norra Lingenäset	Nature Reserve	<1
1974	Helgeån	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1992	Fredriksdalsviken	Naturreservat	1
1996	Hammarsjöområdet	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	33
1996	Araslövssjöområdet	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	14
1996	Egeside-Pulken-Yngsjön	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6
1996	Gropahålet	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Lingenäset	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1
1998	Åsumallet	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Egeside	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Hercules	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Björkhäll	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Vramsåns mynning	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Håslöv	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
1998	Västra Fäladen	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Pulken	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
1998	Gamlegården	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2000	Prästängen	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2001	Hammarsjön	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	22
2001	Helge å	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1
2001	Araslövssjön	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5
2001	Isternäset	Naturreservat	1
2002	Rinkaby och Horna ängar	Naturreservat	2
2004	Vramsåns mynningsområde	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1
2006	Håslövs ängar	Naturreservat	2
2007	Hovby ängar	Naturreservat	11
2008	Egeside	Naturreservat	3
2009	Gropahålet	Naturreservat	<1
2011	Åsums ängar och Åsumallet	Naturreservat	5
2011	Horna sjömark	Naturreservat	2
2011	Åby ängar	Naturreservat	2
2011	Årummet	Naturreservat	<1
2012	Näsby fält	Naturreservat	6
2012	Vramsåns mynning	Naturreservat	1
2014	Hercules	Naturreservat	1
2016	Naturreservatet Lillesjö	Naturreservat	<1
2017	Pulken-Yngsjön	Naturreservat	4

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Nordöstra Skånes Fågelklubb	0

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land, Other urban and industrial areas, Ruderal land	48
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	27
Grassland	Humid grasslands	13
Forest	Alluvial and very wet forest, Native coniferous woodland, Broadleaved deciduous woodland	7
Shrubland	Scrub	4
Other		1

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	50
nature conservation and research	50
tourism/recreation	major (>10)
hunting	major (>10)
urban/industrial/transport	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: River Helge (Sweden). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/river-helge-iba-sweden on 22/11/2024.