Breeding birds — valuable areas 2006

This digital map gives an overview of avifaunistically valuable areas for breeding birds in Lower Saxony. Avifauna is the totality of all bird species found in a region. The avifaunistic data available to the Specialised Agency for Nature Conservation are assessed in terms of area. This assessment shall be carried out separately for breeding and host birds according to standardised evaluation procedures. Data from the period 1993 to 2005 (or 2006) was evaluated on the basis of the evaluation system for breeding bird habitats in Lower Saxony (Information Service 6/97) based on the Red List of breeding birds at risk in Lower Saxony and Bremen 6. Version, as of 2002 (Infodienst 5/2002). From the data reported under the Lower Saxony bird species collection programme, the most up-to-date data from a five-year period (depending on the data situation and level of processing) were used for the assessment of an area. As part of the Lower Saxony bird species collection programme, regular mappings are not carried out throughout the country, but rather a data collection of voluntary and sometimes commissioned stock surveys. There are no or insufficient numbers of breeding birds for undefined areas, so that no classification could be made. However, this does not mean that these areas are of no importance to breeding bird fauna! There are also no or insufficient stock numbers for areas with the “Status Open” attribute, so that no classification could be made. In this case, however, this does not mean that the areas have no avifaunistic significance. The European Bird Conservation Areas receive a separate value (EU SPA) when assessing breeding birds.