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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2000 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	non-breeding (1994)	15,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	non-breeding (1994)	7,700 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	non-breeding (1994)	10,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Eider Somateria mollissima	NT	non-breeding (1994)	42,600 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra	LC	non-breeding (1994)	35,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	non-breeding (1994)	31,200 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	non-breeding (1994)	48,700 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	non-breeding (1994)	4,000 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	non-breeding (1994)	31,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage (1994)	6,500 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding (1991)	1,066 pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	non-breeding (1994)	5,500 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	non-breeding (1994)	43,600 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	non-breeding (1994)	35,400 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	non-breeding (1994)	24,100 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Sanderling Calidris alba	LC	non-breeding (1994)	3,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	non-breeding (1994)	365,000 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	non-breeding (1994)	1,680 birds	B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	breeding (1991)	514 pairs	B2
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (1991)	43 pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding (1994)	500,000-999,999 birds	A4iii, C3, C4

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2000. The most recent assessment (2019) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Pollution	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1979	Vadehavet	Wildlife Reserve (-)	64
1985	Vadehavet	Major Conservation Area (-)	63
1992	Tønder Kommune	§3 beskyttet natur (alle søer, moser, vandløb, heder, enge mv) (IV)	1
1992	Esbjerg Kommune	§3 beskyttet natur (alle søer, moser, vandløb, heder, enge mv) (IV)	1
1992	Fanø Kommune	§3 beskyttet natur (alle søer, moser, vandløb, heder, enge mv) (IV)	<1
2009	Vadehavet med Ribe Å, Tved Å og Varde Å vest for Varde	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	95

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Neritic	75
Marine Intertidal	25

Land use	% of IBA
unknown	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Vadehavet (Wadden Sea) (Denmark). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/vadehavet-(wadden-sea)-iba-denmark on 23/12/2024.