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AT003
Southern Seewinkel and Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen
Location Austria, Burgenland
Central coordinates 16o 50.00' East  47o 45.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, B1i, B2, C3, C6
Area 13,995 ha
Altitude 117 - 124m
Year of IBA assessment 2009

BirdLife Austria



Ornithological information This is an important area for migrating and breeding wildfowl and waders in wet meadows and saline lakes.

Site description The Seewinkel is part of the `Small Hungarian Plain'. The area is characterized by about 45 small shallow saline lakes with seasonally fluctuating water-levels. These are found within a landscape of wet meadows, hay-meadows, reedbeds (Phragmites), dry pastures, arable land, vineyards and small patches of woodland. The Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen are a large area of continuous wet meadows between the villages of Weiden and Podersdorf.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons passage  1994  3,000-12,500 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Greylag Goose Anser anser passage  1994  6,500-9,000 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Gadwall Anas strepera breeding  1997-2005  27-132 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i, B2, C3  Least Concern 
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata breeding  1997-2005  28-217 breeding pairs  good  B2  Least Concern 
Red-crested Pochard Netta rufina breeding  1997-2005  25 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca breeding  1997-2005  2-6 breeding pairs  good  C6  Near Threatened 
White Stork Ciconia ciconia breeding  2000-2002  11-18 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris breeding  1997  20-25 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus breeding  1994  3-5 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Great Egret Casmerodius albus breeding  1998-2001  11-31 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla resident  2002  1 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus breeding  1995-2005  25-35 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus breeding  1997-2005  4-7 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breeding  1997-2005  10-250 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus breeding  1997-2005  10-25 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta breeding  1998-2004  120-195 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Northern Lapwing Vanellus vanellus breeding  2001-2004  274-554 breeding pairs  good  B2  Least Concern 
Kentish Plover Charadrius alexandrinus breeding  2001-2004  24-37 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus breeding  1997-2006  10-36 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  1994  50-60 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus resident  2000-2005  4 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria breeding  1997-2005  20-40 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Neusiedler See National Park 76,000 unknown 76,000  
Neusiedler See - Seewinkel National Park 9,691 protected area overlaps with site 3,510  
Neusiedlersee, Seewinkel and Hanság Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 60,000 protected area contains site 14,000  
NP Neusidlersee-Seewinkel Birds Directive 43,978 protected area contains site 14,000  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest   5%
Grassland Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands; Steppes and dry calcareous grassland  30%
Wetlands (inland) Standing brackish and salt water; Water fringe vegetation  15%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Forestry plantations; Perennial crops, orchards and groves; Ruderal land  50%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 70%
nature conservation and research 25%
tourism/recreation 5%

Management considerations The main threats to the Seewinkel are from groundwater abstraction and intensive agriculture, particularly the use of fertilizers and pesticides. An increasing area of arable land is being put into set-aside and remaining pastures are extensively managed by the National Park. A variety of research and conservation projects have been undertaken.

Protection status National Partial International High3,510 ha of IBA covered by National Park (Neusiedler See-Seewinkel, 7,650 ha). 14,000 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Neusiedlersee, Seewinkel and Hanság, 60,000 ha). 14,000 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Neusiedlersee-Seewinkel, 41,735 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Southern Seewinkel and Zitzmannsdorfer Wiesen. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife