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close| Location | Netherlands, Noord-Brabant,Zeeland,Zuid-Holland |
| Central coordinates | 4o 15.00' East 51o 39.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C4, C6 |
| Area | 6,450 ha |
| Altitude | |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2000 |
Ornithological information An important site for breeding Recurvirostra avosetta, Charadrius alexandrinus (max. 184 pairs, 1989) and Sterna albifrons, but numbers are decreasing due to vegetation succession. The best breeding site for Larus melanocephalus in the Netherlands (e.g. 143 pairs in 1993). The mean total number of waterbirds in January exceeds 20,000.
Site description A former tidal estuary of the Rhine/Maas river sytem, closed off from the Oosterschelde (028) in 1987. It also adjoins Grevelingen (027) in the west, Haringvliet/Hollands Diep (024/025) in the north, and is linked with the Zoommeer (029) via the Schelde-Rhine river connection (shipping lane to Antwerp). The 20-km long stagnant freshwater lake includes some islets. Hunting is allowed but with restrictions as to quarry species.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis | winter | 1991 | 2,872 individuals | good | A4i, B1i, B2, C2 | Least Concern |
| Gadwall Anas strepera | non-breeding | 1991 | 424 individuals | good | B1i, C3 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope | winter | 1991 | 12,515 individuals | good | B1i, C3 | Least Concern |
| Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata | non-breeding | 1991 | 1,251 individuals | good | B1i, C3 | Least Concern |
| Northern Pintail Anas acuta | non-breeding | 1991 | 601 individuals | good | B1i, C3 | Least Concern |
| Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula | winter | 1991 | 3,187 individuals | good | B1i, C3 | Least Concern |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | breeding | 1991 | 532 breeding pairs | good | A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | non-breeding | 1991 | 1,833 individuals | good | A4i, B1i, C2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus | breeding | 1991 | 105 breeding pairs | good | B2 | Least Concern |
| Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus | breeding | 1991 | 15 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Tern Sterna albifrons | breeding | 1991 | 36 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | unknown | 1991 | 20,000 individuals | unknown | A4iii, C4 |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dintelse Gorzen | Nature Reserve | 12 | protected area contained by site | 12 | |
| Dintelse Gorzen II | Nature Reserve | 493 | protected area contained by site | 493 | |
| Hellegatsplaten | Nature Reserve | 420 | protected area contained by site | 420 | |
| Inlaag 1887 | Nature Reserve | 18 | protected area contained by site | 18 | |
| Krammer-Volkerak | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 6,450 | protected area contains site | 6,450 |
|
| Krammer-Volkerak - NL1000021 | Birds Directive | 6,080 | protected area contained by site | 6,080 | |
| Krammer-Volkerak I | Natural Monument | 3,300 | protected area contained by site | 3,300 | |
| Krammer-Volkerak II | Natural Monument | 130 | protected area contained by site | 130 | |
| Krammersche Slikken | Nature Conservation Law | 36 | protected area contained by site | 295 |
|
| Schorren bij Ooltgensplaat | Nature Reserve | 15 | protected area contained by site | 15 | |
| Slikken van de Heen | Nature Reserve | 4 | protected area contained by site | 4 | |
| Slikken van de Heen en Plaat van de Vliet | Nature Reserve | 600 | protected area contained by site | 600 | |
| Slikken van de Heen II | Nature Reserve | 193 | protected area contained by site | 193 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation | 100% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 60% |
| water management | 100% |
| hunting | 100% |
| nature conservation and research | 54% |
| tourism/recreation | 60% |
| urban/industrial/transport | 10% |
Management considerations The main problem is nutrient pollution (`Other' threat, above). The bird-species composition outside the breeding season is much affected by the ongoing change from a salt- to a freshwater ecosystem.
Protection status National Partial International High3,300 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Krammer- Volkerak I, 3,300 ha). 130 ha of IBA covered by Natural Monument (Krammer-Volkerak II, 130 ha). 295 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Krammersche Slikken, 295 ha). 15 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Schorren bij Ooltgensplaat, 15 ha). 4 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Slikken van de Heen, 4 ha). 193 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Slikken van de Heen II, 193 ha). 600 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Slikken van de Heen en Plaat van de Vliet, 600 ha). 12 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Dintelse Gorzen, 12 ha). 493 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Dintelse Gorzen II, 493 ha). 420 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Hellegatsplaten, 420 ha). 18 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Inlaag 1887, 18 ha). 6,300 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Krammer-Volkerak, 6,450 ha). 6,300 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Krammer-Volkerak, 6,450 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Volkerak. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013
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