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The site was identified as important in 2016 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
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	21,834-46,239 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	26,094-42,329 individuals	B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	3,883-5,873 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Loon Gavia immer	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	1-3 individuals	C6
Eurasian Spoonbill Platalea leucorodia	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	554-585 individuals	B1i, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	123-164 individuals	C6
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	non-breeding	2011-2015	12,230-14,338 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	winter	2011-2015	6,953 individuals	B2
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding	2011-2015	159-192 breeding pairs	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	877-1,088 individuals	C6
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	non-breeding	2011-2015	2,951-3,564 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	winter	2011-2015	67 individuals	B3
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	14-19 breeding pairs	C6
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	39-57 individuals	C6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2011-2015	3,379 individuals	B2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	non-breeding	2011-2015	2,169-3,642 individuals	B1i, C3
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2011-2015	127 individuals	B2
Sanderling Calidris alba	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	2,953-4,185 individuals	B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	non-breeding	2011-2015	31,452-42,646 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	2011-2015	507 individuals	B3
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	761-1,207 breeding pairs	B3, C2, C6
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding	2009-2014	min 4,393 breeding pairs	B1i, B3, C3
European Herring Gull Larus argentatus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	1,627-3,628 breeding pairs	B2
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2011-2015	89-156 breeding pairs	B1i, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2011-2015	988-1,245 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2011-2015	1,986-2,500 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	2011-2015	31-38 breeding pairs	C6
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	LC	non-breeding	2011-2015	14-17 individuals	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	2011-2015	122,080-158,406 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2016) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2016. The most recent assessment (2018) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Inlaag 1887	Nature Reserve	<1
-	Kapelle Bank	Nature Conservation Law	<1
-	Saeftinghe	Nature Reserve	1
-	Braakman	Nature Reserve	<1
-	Schor Van Waarde	Nature Conservation Law	<1
-	Schor Bij Ossendrecht	Nature Conservation Law	<1
-	Zuidgors	Nature Reserve	<1
-	Schor bij Bath	Nature Reserve	1
-	Rammekens	Nature Reserve	<1
1900	Zwarte Polder II	Natural Monument	<1
1973	Schor van Waarde	Natural Monument	<1
1975	Zwarte Polder	Natural Monument	<1
1976	Verdronken Land van Saeftinge I	Natural Monument	5
1976	Verdronken Land van Saeftinge II	Natural Monument	3
1995	Westerschelde & Saeftinghe	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	45
1998	Westerschelde & Saeftinghe	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	100
2000	Westerschelde & Saeftinghe	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2000	Westerschelde & Saeftinghe	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	64
2009	Vlakte van de Raan	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	2
2010	Westerschelde & Saeftinghe	Natuurbeschermingswet	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
tourism/recreation	80
fisheries/aquaculture	50
urban/industrial/transport	50
hunting	25
nature conservation and research	11
agriculture	5

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Westerschelde & Saeftinghe (Netherlands). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/westerschelde-&-saeftinghe-iba-netherlands on 22/11/2024.