• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2002 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
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding	1996	15-40 breeding pairs	A1, C1, C6
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	LC	breeding	2001	2-9 breeding pairs	C6
Little Crake Zapornia parva	LC	breeding	2001	1 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	resident	1996	3-4 breeding pairs	C6
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	resident	1996	1 breeding pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	resident	1996	25-30 breeding pairs	C6
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla	LC	breeding	1999	1 breeding pairs	C6
Red Kite Milvus milvus	LC	breeding	2001	38-60 breeding pairs	C6
Black Kite Milvus migrans	LC	breeding	2001	24-46 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	LC	resident	1996	3-16 breeding pairs	C6
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio	LC	resident	1996	280-322 breeding pairs	C6
Barred Warbler Curruca nisoria	LC	resident	1996	36-70 breeding pairs	C6
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	LC	resident	1996	1 breeding pairs	C6
Red-breasted Flycatcher Ficedula parva	LC	breeding	2001	2 breeding pairs	C6

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2002) may differ.

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Saale-Elster valley	Nature Reserve	-
1936	Saaletal	Landschaftschutzgebiet	22
1962	Saale	Landschaftschutzgebiet	24
1993	Elster-Luppe-Aue	Landschaftschutzgebiet	37
1994	Kiesgruben Wallendorf/Schladebach	Landschaftschutzgebiet	9
1996	Rabeninsel und Saaleaue bei Böllberg	Naturschutzgebiet	2
1998	Saale-Elster-Aue bei Halle	Naturschutzgebiet	16
1998	Floßgraben	Landschaftschutzgebiet	<1
1998	Pfingstanger bei Wörmlitz	Naturschutzgebiet	2
2000	Saale-Elster-Aue südlich Halle	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2000	Saale-; Elster-, Luppe-Aue zwischen Merseburg und Halle	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	33
2000	Elster-Luppe-Aue	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	9
2002	Luppeaue bei Horburg und Zweimen	Naturschutzgebiet	7
2002	Elsteraue bei Ermlitz	Naturschutzgebiet	3
2003	Abtei und Saaleaue bei Planena	Naturschutzgebiet	7
2004	Saaletal	Landschaftschutzgebiet	9
2004	Saaletal	Landschaftschutzgebiet	9
2004	Feuchtgebiet im ehemaligen Tagebau Lochau	Nature Reserve	2
2012	Saaletal	Landschaftschutzgebiet	26

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland	Humid grasslands, Mesophile grasslands	43
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves, Other urban and industrial areas	37
Forest	Alluvial and very wet forest	11
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Fens, transition mires and springs	10

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	63
nature conservation and research	26
forestry	11
not utilised	8
water management	5
hunting	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saale-Elster valley (Germany). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/saale-elster-valley-iba-germany on 22/11/2024.