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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	breeding (2000–2009)	1–2 pairs	C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	winter (1990–2005)	5–10 birds	C6
Red Kite Milvus milvus	LC	breeding (1997–2009)	2–3 pairs	C6

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Common Quail Coturnix coturnix	3 / 3 (males)	100	good
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	1 / 1 (pairs)	100	good
Red Kite Milvus milvus	3 / 2 (pairs)	100	good
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra	0 / 5 (-)	0	very poor
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	1 / 1 (-)	100	good
Motacilla flava	0 / 6 (-)	0	very poor

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	very poor (<40%)	very poor (<40%)	very poor
Grassland	very poor (<40%)	very poor (<40%)	very poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

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 planning has taken place	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1965	Parc naturel de l'Our / Naturpark Our	Parc Naturel (II)	97
1981	Hautbellain-Foschtbaach	Humid Zone (-)	12
1981	Hautbellain-Rittefenn	Humid Zone (-)	16
1981	Troisvierges-Cornelysmillen	Humid Zone (-)	22
1989	Basbellain-Schucklai	Divers Nature Reserve (-)	4
2002	Vallée de la Woltz et affluents de la source à Troisvierges	Zones protégées d'intérêt communautaire - Zones Oiseaux ZPS (IV)	86
2004	Troisvierges - Cornelysmillen	Zones protégées d'intérêt communautaire - Zones Habitats ZSC (IV)	25

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

Name	Year formed
LNVL Clervaux	0

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit Spotlight on local empowerment.

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Grassland	49	Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands
Artificial/Terrestrial	44	Arable land; Forestry plantations; Other urban and industrial areas; Ruderal land
Forest	4	Alluvial and very wet forest; Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland
Shrubland	2	Scrub
Wetlands (inland)	1	Rivers and streams

Land use	% of IBA
rangeland/pastureland	49
agriculture	32
forestry	10
hunting	major (>10)
tourism/recreation	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Valley of the Woltz (Luxembourg). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/valley-of-the-woltz-iba-luxembourg on 25/12/2024.