Important Bird Areas in Europe – Switzerland ■ SWITZERLAND LORENZ HEER, VERENA KELLER, WERNER MÜLLER AND HANS SCHMID Augstmatthorn (IBA 018). (PHOTO: LORENZ HEER/[SVS/BIRDLIFE SWITZERLAND]) GENERAL INTRODUCTION Topographically, the country can be separated into three main regions. The Jura mountains form the north-western border of Switzerland is a small land-locked country in central Europe Switzerland and occupy approximately 10% of the country’s land surrounded by Germany in the north, Austria and Liechtenstein in area. The region is characterized by limestone mountains reaching the east, Italy in the south and France in the west. Thirty-one sites a maximum altitude of 1,677 m. It contains three IBAs (001, 002, are identified as Important Bird Areas (IBAs), covering 13% or 003). The Alps (up to 4,634 m) cross southern Switzerland from 5,474 km2 of the total surface area of 41,293 km2. The previous west to east, and occupy about 60% of the country’s area. There pan-European inventory identified 13 IBAs (Grimmett and Jones are five IBAs in the northern Alps (016, 017, 018, 019, 020), five in 1989). Twenty new sites have been added, mainly in montane areas the central Alps (021, 022, 023, 024, 025) and six in the southern (Table 1). Part of one site, former site CH006, has been dropped, Alps (026, 027, 028, 029, 030, 031). These two mountain chains whilst the Pointes de Marin area of this site has been incorporated enclose the Central Plateau, which is typified by glacial sediments, into current site 011. large lakes, river systems, several parts of which are IBAs (006, Map 1. Location, area and GERMANY criteria category of Important 3 Bird Areas in Switzerland. 12 13 14 5 15 FRANCE 2 4 10 11 20 19 1 17 LIECHTENSTEIN 18 8 AUSTRIA 16 7 9 24 6 25 21 23 27 Highest category of criteria met by IBA A (24 IBAs) 26 22 28 31 B (7 IBAs) Area of IBA (ha) 29 29,000 to 101,100 16,100 to 28,999 0 50 100 ITALY 3,400 to 16,099 30 km 230 to 3,399 699 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Switzerland Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Switzerland. 31 IBAs covering 5,474 km2 IBA 1989 code code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 001 — Mont Tendre Mont Tendre Vaud 31,000 B2, B3 002 — La Brévine and Les Ponts-de-Martel La Brévine et Les Ponts-de-Martel Neuchâtel 23,200 B2, B3 003 — Jura mountains of Baselland/Solothurn Tafeljura-Landschaft Baselland/Solothurn Aargau, Basel-Stadt, Basel-Landschaft, 35,000 B2, B3 Solothurn 004 — ‘Grosses Moos’ plain and Grosses Moos und Stausee Niederried Bern, Fribourg 16,100 A4i, B1i, B2, B3 Niederried reservoir 005 — Lowlands of Zurich and lower valley Zürcher Unterland und unteres Thurtal Schaffhausen, Thurgau, Zürich 22,700 B2, B3 of the River Thur 006 CH012 River Rhône: Geneva–Verbois reservoir Rhône: Genève–Barrage de Verbois Genève 1,100 A4i, B1i 007 CH011 Lake Geneva: Versoix and Hermance– Lac Léman: Versoix–Hermance–Genève Genève 3,400 A4i, B1i Geneva 008 CH010 Lake Geneva: Rolle–Céligny Lac Léman: Rolle–Céligny Genève, Vaud 1,500 A4i, B1i 009 CH009 Lake Geneva: Grangettes Lac Léman: Les Grangettes Valais, Vaud 6,600 A4i, B1i 010 CH005 Lake Neuchâtel: Corcelettes–Vaumarcus Lac de Neuchâtel: Corcelettes–Vaumarcus Vaud 690 A4i, B1i 011 CH006P, Lake Neuchâtel: southern shore Rive sud du lac de Neuchâtel Bern, Fribourg, Neuchâtel, Vaud 17,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 CH007, CH008 012 CH004 Klingnau reservoir Klingnauer Stausee Aargau 410 B1i 013 CH003 End of Lake Constance and River Rhine Untersee-Ende und Rhein bis Bibermühle Schaffhausen, Thurgau 480 A4i, A4iii, B1i until Bibermühle 014 CH002 Lake Constance: Bay of Ermatingen Untersee: Ermatinger Becken Thurgau 530 A4i, A4iii, B1i 015 CH001 Lake Constance: Bay of Constance Bodensee: Konstanzer Bucht Thurgau 230 A4iii, B1i 016 — Pre-alpine region of Pays d’Enhaut Pays d’Enhaut Bern, Fribourg, Vaud 37,100 A3, B2, B3 017 — Pre-alpine region of Gurnigel Gurnigel Bern, Fribourg 16,800 A3, B1iv, B2, B3 018 — Augstmatthorn Augstmatthorn Bern 17,200 A3, B2, B3 019 — Pre-alpine region of Schwyz Schwyzer Randalpen Zug, Schwyz 35,600 A3, B2, B3 020 — Upper Toggenburg and Säntis Oberes Toggenburg/Säntis St. Gallen, Appenzell-I.RH., 38,600 A3, B2, B3 Appenzell-A.RH. 021 — Central Valais between Sierre and Visp Zentralwallis von Siders bis Visp Valais 27,800 A3, B2, B3 022 — Valley of Zermatt Mattertal Valais 22,100 A3, B2, B3 023 — Aletsch region Aletschregion Valais 4,750 A3, B2 024 — Heinzenberg mountain and Heinzenberg–Domleschg–Safiental Graubünden 29,000 A3, B2, B3 surrounding valleys 025 — Lower Engadine and Swiss National Park Unterengadin–Nationalpark Graubünden 101,100 A3, B2, B3 026 — Simplon region Simplon Valais 14,700 A3, B2, B3 027 — Piora–Dötra Piora–Dötra Ticino 9,700 A3, B2 028 — Maggia valley Valle Maggia Ticino 14,700 A3, B2 029 CH013 Bolle di Magadino Bolle di Magadino Ticino 1,400 B1i 030 — Generoso mountain Monte Generoso Ticino 6,100 B2 031 — Bregaglia valley Val Bregaglia Graubünden 10,800 A3, B2 Site identified in the previous inventory of IBAs in Europe (Grimmett and Jones 1989) but no longer considered to be an IBA CH006P Lac de Neuchâtel: Colombier – Canal de la Thielle p = part of IBA 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015), and agricultural migrating individuals from northern European populations. landscapes (IBAs 004, 005). Additionally, 20–30 individuals of Aythya nyroca (SPEC 1) winter on Swiss waters. For breeding species the selection of IBAs centres on areas with ORNITHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE the highest densities of birds. This approach is adopted primarily because many of these species are dispersed breeders. IBAs hold a Ninety-eight species of European conservation concern (SPECs) considerable proportion of the Swiss breeding population of a breed regularly in Switzerland (Tucker and Heath 1994). Ten species number of SPECs (meeting criteria B2 or B3), such as Milvus are listed as SPEC 2, 36 as SPEC 3 and 51 as SPEC 4. Crex crex, the only SPEC 1 species, occurs in Switzerland in small numbers, but no Table 2. Important Bird Areas in Switzerland that support longer breeds regularly. Crex crex does not meet criteria at any site important numbers of one or more congregatory species (i.e. but is recorded in three IBAs fulfilling criteria for other species. meeting criteria A4 and/or B1). IBAs meeting both criteria A4 About 500,000 waterbirds regularly winter in Switzerland. and B1 for the species are shown in bold. IBAs meeting only Eleven IBAs are important as wintering and stop-over sites (004, criterion B1 for the species concerned, and not A4, are shown 006, 007, 008, 009, 010, 011, 012, 013, 014, 015). They are selected in normal type. For key to ‘Season’, see p. 7. as IBAs under criteria A4i and B1i, as they hold more than 1% of Species Season IBA code the biogeographic or flyway populations for species listed in Table Podiceps cristatus Great Crested Grebe W 007, 008, 009, 011 2. Together, they hold approximately 20–30% of all waterbirds Phalacrocorax carbo Cormorant W 009 wintering in Switzerland. The IBAs on Lac de Neuchâtel (010, 011) Anas strepera Gadwall W 004, 012, 014 are particularly important for Netta rufina and since the beginning Netta rufina Red-crested Pochard W 010, 011 of the 1990s they have regularly held 15–25% of the south-west/ Aythya ferina Pochard W 011, 013, 014, 015 central European population. Several IBAs are important for Aythya fuligula Tufted Duck W 006, 010, 011, 013, 014 resident Mergus merganser, part of a discrete central European Mergus merganser Goosander R 006, 007, 008, 011 breeding population (Table 2). In winter these birds mix with 700 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Switzerland Table 3. Species of European conservation concern with Figure 1. Habitats at Important Bird Areas in Switzerland significant breeding populations at Important Bird Areas in (see Appendix 3 for definitions of habitats). Switzerland (meeting any IBA criteria). Minimum Proportion (%) of Forest and woodland national breeding national population population breeding at all IBAs Artificial landscape Species 1 (pairs) 3 in Switzerland 4 Grassland Milvus migrans Black Kite 1,200 >25 Milvus milvus Red Kite 800 >20 Wetland ³ 50% cover¹ Aquila chrysaetos 2 Golden Eagle 300 >10 Rocky areas 5%–49% cover¹ Falco tinnunculus Kestrel 3,000 >15 0 10 2030 4050 60 70 80 90 100 Falco peregrinus 2 Peregrine 200 >10 Percentage of IBAs (100% = 31 sites) Tetrao tetrix Black Grouse 7,500 >15 1. percentage of area of individual IBA covered by habitat Alectoris graeca Rock Partridge 3,000 >15 Tyto alba 2 Barn Owl 1,000 >10 Jynx torquilla Wryneck 2,000 >20 P. viridis, Dendrocopos medius and Phoenicurus phoenicurus. The Picus canus Grey-headed Woodpecker 1,000 >15 subalpine zone has extensive conifer forests that extend up to the Picus viridis Green Woodpecker 5,000 >20 treeline. Picea abies dominates in the northern Alps, whilst in the Picoides tridactylus Three-toed Woodpecker 1,000 >10 central Alps Pinus cembra and Larix decidua are widespread. Tetrao Phoenicurus phoenicurus Redstart 10,000 >15 tetrix, Picoides tridactylus, Turdus torquatus and Serinus citrinella Monticola saxatilis Rock Thrush 800 >30 reach their highest densities in these forests and in the transition Turdus torquatus Ring Ouzel 40,000 >20 zone at their upper limits. Serinus citrinella Citril Finch 10,000 >25 Artificial landscapes, which occur in all IBAs and in 87% occupy 1. Only those species of European conservation concern (see Box 1, p.