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close| Location | Finland, Etelä-Suomen lääni |
| Central coordinates | 27o 14.00' East 60o 34.00' North |
| IBA criteria | B1i, B2, C2, C6 |
| Area | 760 ha |
| Altitude | |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2000 |
Ornithological information The area is also a nationally important staging area during spring for Cygnus columbianus (100-150 birds). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (1-5 individuals, passage), Crex crex (1 pair, breeding).
Site description Kirkkojärvi lake and Lupinlahti Bay are two wetlands adjacent to the town of Hamina. Kirkkojärvi lake, is almost totally covered by vegetation (reed Phragmites, etc.). It was previously heavily polluted by nutrients, and is still prone to silting but is managed by periodically raising the water-level. Lupinlahti Bay is a shallow, 5 km long, narrow bay of the Gulf of Finland, with reedbeds up to 200 m wide. Some parts of the shoreline are rocky, others have meadows and forests, with several houses and summer cottages.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus | passage | 1997 | 250-350 individuals | good | B1i, C2 | Least Concern |
| Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris | breeding | 1997 | 11 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hevoshaka, Tompuri, Salmenkylä, Saunaniemi - FI0403002 | Habitats Directive | 5 | protected area overlaps with site | 0 | |
| Kirkkojärvi - FI0403001 | Birds Directive | 249 | protected area overlaps with site | 206 | |
| Lupinlahti - FI0425001 | Birds Directive | 393 | protected area overlaps with site | 329 | |
| Pappilansaari-Lupinlahti - FI0425005 | Habitats Directive | 400 | protected area overlaps with site | 332 | |
| Suvirannan luonnonsuojelualue | Private Nature Reserve | 58 | protected area contained by site | 54 |
|
| Suviranta - FI0425006 | Habitats Directive | 54 | protected area overlaps with site | 35 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing freshwater | - |
| Unknown | 5% | |
| Coastline | Lagoons | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| hunting | - |
| military | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
| unknown | - |
Management considerations Intensive hunting in autumn and professional net fishing almost all-year-round cause disturbance to birds. There is a birdwatching tower at Kirkkojärvi lake. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
Protection status National Partial International High54 ha of IBA covered by Protected Area on Private Land (Suviranta, 54 ha). 720 ha of IBA covered by two Special Protection Areas (Kikkojärvi; Pappilansaari-Lupinlahti).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kirkkojärvi lake and Lupinlahti bay. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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