Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A brackish part of the River Schelde on Flemish territory near the border of the Netherlands, encompassing mud and sandflats and brackish marshes. The neighbouring polders are included and comprise grazing-meadows, agricultural land, several large reedbeds, sandy and muddy industrial wasteland, and several deep-water docks connected with the River Schelde.
This is an internationally important staging and wintering site for waders and waterfowl, especially for
Anser anser and
Anas crecca. The area is also nationally important for breeding meadow birds and waders.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Breeding birds and wintering waterbirds are regularly surveyed. A recent report on the state of nature in part of the IBA is being produced within the framework of future infrastructure development. According to the physical planning scheme of the Flemish Government this site will be destroyed by infrastructure works for the harbour of Antwerp; only very small parts of the IBA will remain free of industrial plants. 400 ha of IBA covered by proposed Site of Community Importance (Schelde and Durme-estuary from Dutch border to Gent, 139 ha).
National Low
International High45 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Galgenschoor, 45 ha). 215 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Groot Buitenschoor, 215 ha). 7,570 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Schorren en polders van de Beneden-Schelde, 7,570 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Schorren en Polder van de Beneden-Schelde (Belgium). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/schorren-en-polder-van-de-beneden-schelde-iba-belgium on 23/12/2024.
