BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8

IMPORTANT BIRD AREASIN EUROPE

Priority sites for conservationEdited by Melanie F. Heath and Michael I. Evans

with D. G. Hoccom, A. J. Payne and N. B. Peet

Volume 1: Northern Europe

BirdLifeI N T E R N A T I O N A L

■■■■■ What is BirdLife International?BirdLife International is a Partnership of non-governmental conservation organisations with a specialfocus on birds. The BirdLife Partnership works together on shared priorities, policies and programmesof conservation action, exchanging skills, achievements and information, and so growing in ability,authority and influence.

Each Partner represents a unique geographic area or territory (most often a country).In addition to Partners, BirdLife has Representatives and a flexible system of Working Groups(including some bird Specialist Groups shared with Wetlands International and/or the Species SurvivalCommission (SSC) of the World Conservation Union (IUCN)), each with specific roles andresponsibilities.

■■■■■ What is the purpose of BirdLife International? – Mission StatementThe BirdLife International Partnership strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity,working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources.

■■■■■ Where is BirdLife International heading? – Vision StatementBirds are beautiful, inspirational and international. Birds are excellent flagships and vitalenvironmental indicators. By focusing on birds, and the sites and habitats on which they depend,the BirdLife International Partnership is working to improve the quality of life for birds, for otherwildlife (biodiversity) and for people.

AimsBirdLife’s long-term aims are to:• prevent the extinction of any bird species• maintain and where possible improve the conservation status of all bird species• conserve and where appropriate improve and enlarge sites and habitats important for birds• help, through birds, to conserve biodiversity and to improve the quality of people’s lives• integrate bird conservation into sustaining people’s livelihoods.

Guiding principlesBirdLife International promotes sustainable living as a means of conserving birds, and all other lifeforms.

BirdLife Programmes are built through a participatory process of:• linking Partners to plan policy, programmes and actions and to agree chosen priorities• using the expertise and resources of Partners in all activities as fully as possible• dividing programme tasks and responsibilities amongst the Partnership according to their wishes,

expertise and capabilities• sharing skills, experience and information within the Partnership so as to develop the capacity of

individual Partners• providing open access to data on birds and biodiversity to enable better informed decision-

making• democratic governance by the Partners• working through local communities, organisations and individuals• integrating bird and biodiversity conservation with social and economic development.

BirdLife International works with all like-minded organisations, national and local governments,decision-makers, landowners and managers, in pursuing bird and biodiversity conservation.

The global work of the BirdLife Partnership is funded entirely by voluntary donations. To find outmore about how you could support this work please contact the BirdLife International Secretariat,Wellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, United Kingdom.

Tel: +44 1223 277318 Fax: +44 1223 277200 Email: birdlife@birdlife.org.uk Internet: www.birdlife.net

BirdLifeI N T E R N A T I O N A L

BirdLifeI N T E R N A T I O N A L

with major sponsorship from

Royal Society for theProtection of Birds

The BirdLife Partner in theUnited Kingdom and the main

sponsor.

Vogelbescherming NederlandThe BirdLife Partner in the

Netherlands.

Ministry of Agriculture, NatureManagement and Fisheries,

Directorate for NatureManagement, through the PIN/MATRA Funds of the Ministry ofForeign Affairs, The Netherlands.

Together for birds and people

BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8

IMPORTANT BIRD AREASIN EUROPE

Priority sites for conservationEdited by

Melanie F. Heath and Michael I. Evanswith D. G. Hoccom, A. J. Payne and N. B. Peet

Volume 1: Northern Europe

Recommended citationHeath, M. F. and Evans, M. I., eds. (2000) Important Bird Areas in Europe: Priority sites for conservation.2 vols. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8).

Where one volume used, indicate title as:Heath, M. F. and Evans, M. I., eds. (2000) Important Bird Areas in Europe: Priority sites for conservation.1: Northern Europe. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International (BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8).

For a country chapter, cite as in this example:Dvorak, M. (2000) Austria. Pp. 67–90 in M. F. Heath and M. I. Evans, eds. Important Bird Areas inEurope: Priority sites for conservation. 1: Northern Europe. Cambridge, UK: BirdLife International(BirdLife Conservation Series No. 8).

© 2000 BirdLife InternationalWellbrook Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, United KingdomTel: +44 1223 277318 Fax: +44 1223 277200 email: birdlife@birdlife.org.uk Internet: www.birdlife.net

BirdLife International is a UK-registered charity

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system ortransmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical,photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior permission of the publisher.

ISBN 0 946888 34 5 (Volume 1, softback)0 946888 35 3 (Volume 2, softback)0 946888 36 1 (2 Volume set, softback)0 946888 37 X (2 Volume set, hardback)

British Library-in-Publication DataA catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library

First published 2000 by BirdLife International

Designed and produced by the Nature Conservation Bureau Limited,36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, Berkshire RG14 5SJ, United Kingdom

Printed and bound in Great Britain by Butler and Tanner Ltd., Frome and London

Available from: Natural History Book Service, 2–3 Wills Road, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 5XN, United KingdomTel: +44 1803 865913 Fax: +44 1803 865280 email: sales@nhbs.co.uk Internet: www.nhbs.com

The presentation of material in this book and the geographical designations employed do not imply the expression of anyopinion whatsoever on the part of BirdLife International concerning the legal status of any country, territory or area, orconcerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

AUSTRIAMichael DvorakBirdLife Austria*

BELARUSAlexander Kozulin

Bird Conservation Belarus

BELGIUMAnny Anselin, Jean-Paul Jacob and Willem Van den BosscheInstitute of Nature Conservation; Société d’Etudes Ornithologiques;

Belgische Natuur- en Vogelreservaten/Réserves Naturelles etOrnithologiques de Belgique (BNVR/RNOB)*

CZECH REPUBLICJan Hora

Czech Society for Ornithology (ČSO)*

DENMARKJan F. Rasmussen, Morten Nielsen and Knud N. Flensted

Dansk Ornitologisk Forening (DOF)*

FAROE ISLANDSBased on data from Grimmett and Jones (1989)

Revised by Førøya Natturugripsavn (FOS)*

GREENLANDDavid Boertmann

National Environmental Research Institute, Denmark

ESTONIAMargus Ots and Andres Kalamees

Estonian Ornithological Society (EOS)*

FINLANDMauri Leivo

BirdLife Finland*

FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANYChristian Unselt, Claus Mayr and Hans-Günther Bauer

Naturschutzbund Deutschland (NABU)*

ICELANDÓlafur Einarsson

Icelandic Society for the Protection of Birds (ISPB)*

REPUBLIC OF IRELANDJackie Hunt, John Derwin, John Coveney and Stephen Newton

Birdwatch Ireland*

LATVIAEdmunds Raèinskis

Latvijas Ornitologijas Biedrîba (LOB)*

VOLUME 1: NORTHERN EUROPEAUTHORS OF COUNTRY CHAPTERS

LIECHTENSTEINGeorg Willi

Botanisch-Zoologische Gesellschaft (BZG)*

LITHUANIAL. Raudonikis, P. Kurlavicius and G. Matiukas

Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD)*

LUXEMBOURGPatric Lorgé

Lëtzeburger Natur-a Vulleschutzliga (LNVL)*

THE NETHERLANDSEduard Osieck

Vogelbescherming Nederland (VBN)*

NORWAYTerje Lislevand, Asbjørn Folvik and Ingar Jostein Øien

Norsk Ornitologisk Forening (NOF)*

SVALBARD AND JAN MAYENTerje Lislevand, Asbjørn Folvik and Ingar Jostein Øien

Norsk Ornitologisk Forening (NOF)*

POLANDMaciej Gromadzki and Maria Wieloch

Polish Society for the Protection of Birds (OTOP)*

RUSSIATanya Sviridova

Russian Bird Conservation Union (RBCU)*

SLOVAKIAPavol Kaòuch

Society for the Protection of Birds in Slovakia (SOVS)*

SWEDENLars Lindell, Björn Welander and Steve Dahlfors

Swedish Ornithological Society (SOF)*

SWITZERLANDLorenz Heer, Verena Keller, Werner Müller and Hans Schmid

Swiss Association for the Protection of Birds (SVS)*

UNITED KINGDOM,THE CHANNEL ISLANDS AND THE ISLE OF MAN

Ian Fisher, David Gibbons, Guy Thompsonand Dave Pritchard

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB)*

* Organization is part of the BirdLife International European Partnership(as of December 1999)

iv

Important Bird Areas in Europe

v

Important Bird Areas in Europe

■■■■■ CONTENTS

vii Forewords

ix Acknowledgements

xi Summary

1 Introduction1 Europe’s environment1 The need for bird conservation in Europe2 Prioritization of conservation action2 The conservation of sites for birds—Important Bird Areas3 Important Bird Areas in Europe

5 Data collection5 Geographical definition of Europe5 The BirdLife International Partnership6 Sources of data8 Types of data collected9 Tools for data collection9 Data-collection procedure

11 Identifying Important Bird Areas11 Why apply IBA criteria?11 The categories of IBA criteria12 The application of IBA criteria13 Defining the boundaries of an IBA13 Detailed definitions of IBA criteria18 How do IBA criteria relate to the identification of Special

Protection Areas under the EC Birds Directive?19 How do IBA criteria relate to the identification of Ramsar

Sites under the Ramsar Convention?

21 Data presentation21 National overview26 Site accounts

29 Overview of results29 Why are IBAs important and has a complete set of sites

been found?52 Land-uses and threats at IBAs59 How well protected are IBAs?62 What should be done next?

Country chapters:inventory of Important Bird Areas by country

67 Austria

91 Belarus

103 Belgium

123 Czech Republic

137 Denmark

179 Faroe Islands

187 Greenland

205 Estonia

225 Finland

263 Federal Republic of Germany

341 Iceland

365 Republic of Ireland

417 Latvia

441 Liechtenstein

445 Lithuania

459 Luxembourg

465 The Netherlands

509 Norway

533 Svalbard and Jan Mayen

543 Poland

581 Russia

653 Slovakia

673 Sweden

699 Switzerland

715 United Kingdom, the Channel Islandsand the Isle of Man

821 Appendices821 Appendix 1. Descriptions of international agreements

relevant to the protection and management of sites for natureconservation in Europe.

825 Appendix 2a. The 515 bird species occurring regularly inEurope with the Important Bird Area criteria (at the globaland European levels) that they can potentially fulfil and thenumerical threshold(s) if applicable.

839 Appendix 2b. Bird species occurring regularly in theEuropean Union that can fulfil Important Bird Area criteria(at the European Union level), and the numericalthreshold(s) if applicable.

844 Appendix 3. The classification of habitats, land-uses andthreats at Important Bird Areas in Europe.

850 Appendix 4. A comparison of Important Bird Area criteriacategories applied in this publication with those used in thefirst pan-European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989)and European Union study (Grimmett and Gammell 1989).

852 Appendix 5. The regions of EU countries used in theapplication of Important Bird Area criteria for speciesthreatened at the European Union level (criterion C6).

853 Appendix 6. The total number and total area of ImportantBird Areas by country and the reasons for importance ofIBAs by country, indicated by the number of IBAs fulfillingeach criterion.

854 Appendix 7. Transboundary Important Bird Areas.856 Appendix 8. The number of Important Bird Areas in each

country that overlap with Ramsar Sites, World Heritage Sites,Biosphere Reserves and Special Protection Areas.

857 Index to sites