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FI028
Oulu region wetlands
Location Finland, Oulun lääni
Central coordinates 25o 10.00' East  64o 55.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C1, C2, C3, C4, C6
Area 81,781 ha
Altitude
Year of IBA assessment 2000

BirdLife SUOMI-FINLAND



Ornithological information A uniquely important breeding and staging area for numerous species. A very high proportion of the populations of many northern species stage on the area.

Site description A very large and diverse wetland complex, including sea bays, archipelago and farmland, in the vicinity of Oulu city. The site comprises extensive coastal meadows, early successional young deciduous forests, dry meadows, cattle-grazed farmland, sand beaches, sand-dunes, lagoons and inhabited areas.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Bean Goose Anser fabalis passage  1997  20,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus passage  1997  50 individuals  good  A1, C1  Vulnerable 
Greylag Goose Anser anser breeding  1997  450-480 breeding pairs  poor  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Greylag Goose Anser anser passage  1997  3,500 individuals  medium  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Eurasian Wigeon Anas penelope passage  1997  50,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Northern Pintail Anas acuta breeding  1997  300-350 breeding pairs  medium  B1i, B2, C3  Least Concern 
Northern Pintail Anas acuta passage  1997  15,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Teal Anas crecca passage  1997  50,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula passage  1997  50,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula passage  1997  30,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Smew Mergellus albellus passage  1997  1,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator breeding  1997  600-650 breeding pairs  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Red-breasted Merganser Mergus serrator passage  1997  15,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Merganser Mergus merganser passage  1997  20,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris breeding  1997  8-12 breeding pairs  medium  B2, C6  Least Concern 
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla passage  1997  30 individuals  medium  A1, C1  Least Concern 
Northern Harrier Circus cyaneus breeding  1997  10-40 breeding pairs  poor  B2  Least Concern 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breeding  1997  10-30 breeding pairs  poor  B3, C6  Least Concern 
Common Crane Grus grus breeding  1997  40-50 breeding pairs  poor  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Common Crane Grus grus passage  1997  3,000 individuals  medium  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus passage  1997  7,000 individuals  medium  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Redshank Tringa totanus breeding  1997  790-850 breeding pairs  poor  B1i, B2, C3  Least Concern 
Common Redshank Tringa totanus passage  1997  5,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia passage  1997  3,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola breeding  1997  200-250 breeding pairs  poor  B2  Least Concern 
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola passage  1997  40,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Little Stint Calidris minuta passage  1997  10,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Broad-billed Sandpiper Limicola falcinellus passage  1997  3,000 individuals  medium  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Ruff Philomachus pugnax breeding  1997  700-750 breeding pairs  poor  B3, C6  Least Concern 
Ruff Philomachus pugnax passage  1997  50,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Mew Gull Larus canus breeding  1997  1,200-1,300 breeding pairs  poor  B2  Least Concern 
Little Gull Larus minutus breeding  1997  400-500 breeding pairs  medium  A4i, B1i, B2, C3  Least Concern 
Little Gull Larus minutus passage  1997  3,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia passage  1997  200 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus breeding  1997  25-70 breeding pairs  poor  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Sedge Warbler Acrocephalus schoenobaenus breeding  1997  10,000 breeding pairs  poor  B3  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds passage  1997  -  unknown  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Akionlahti - FI1103200 Birds Directive 260 protected area overlaps with site 243  
Hailuoto, pohjoisranta - FI1100201 Birds Directive 3,671 protected area overlaps with site 2,515  
Isomatala-Maasyvän luonnonsuojelualue Private Nature Reserve 1,375 protected area contained by site 764  
Isomatala-Maasyvänlahti - FI1100203 Birds Directive 1,531 protected area contained by site 1,531  
Kempeleenlahden ranta - FI1103000 Birds Directive 192 protected area contained by site 192  
Kirkkosalmi - FI1100202 Birds Directive 1,019 protected area overlaps with site 919  
Liminganlahti - FI1102200 Birds Directive 11,823 protected area contained by site 11,823  
Ojakylänlahti ja Kengänkari - FI1100204 Birds Directive 291 protected area overlaps with site 257  
Perämeren saaret - FI1300302 Birds Directive 7,136 protected area overlaps with site 931  
Säärenperä ja Karinkannanmatala - FI1105201 Birds Directive 624 protected area contained by site 624  
Siikajoen lintuvedet ja suot - FI1105202 Birds Directive 2,067 protected area overlaps with site 1,306  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest   5%
Coastline Lagoons  70%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   20%
Unknown   5%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 20%
hunting 80%
nature conservation and research 20%
tourism/recreation 10%
urban/industrial/transport 10%

Management considerations Human impact has detrimentally affected the area, resulting in nutrient pollution of water areas and overgrowth of wetlands and meadows. Conversely, active cultivation of farmland has benefited birds, creating large feeding grounds, especially for geese and cranes. Hunting pressure is very heavy in autumn, when hundreds or thousands of hunters gather here for wildfowling; hunting is prohibited in small parts of the area only. There are several birdwatching towers and wooden trails at Liminganlahti. At Tauvo, on the mouth of the Siikajoki river, a bird observatory has been maintained for many years, where ringing and migration observation are the main activities. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.

Protection status National Low International Partial764 ha of IBA covered by Private Protection Area (Isomatala-Maasyvä, 764 ha). 128 ha of IBA covered by Protected Area on Private Land (Tauvo, 128 ha). 20,684 ha of IBA covered by six Special Protection Areas (Isomatala-Maasyvänlahti; Liminganlahti; Kempeleenlahden ranta; Akionlahti; Säärenperä ja Karinkannanmata; Siikajoen lintuvedet ja suot).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Oulu region wetlands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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