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FI007
Värriö-Tuntsa
Location Finland, Lapin lääni
Central coordinates 29o 45.00' East  67o 40.00' North
IBA criteria A3, B2, B3, C2, C6
Area 33,670 ha
Altitude 500 m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

BirdLife SUOMI-FINLAND



Ornithological information An important area for boreal avifauna. Breeding birds include 13 out of the 15 species in Europe that are restricted to the boreal biome (when breeding).

Site description A wilderness area comprising two adjacent mountainous conservation units in eastern Lapland: Värriö Strict Nature Reserve, and the Wilderness Area of Tuntsa which reaches the Russian border in the east. The landscape is dominated by low fjelds and high hills, with forested slopes, fertile river valleys and old, natural boreal forests between them. Due to the area's remoteness, human activity is minor.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus breeding  1996  10-20 breeding pairs  medium  C2  Least Concern 
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus breeding  1996  5-10 breeding pairs  poor  A3  Least Concern 
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus breeding  1996  50-100 breeding pairs  poor  B3  Least Concern 
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia breeding  1996  5-10 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa breeding  1996  10-20 breeding pairs  poor  A3, C6  Least Concern 
Northern Hawk Owl Surnia ulula breeding  1996  10-20 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus resident  1996  200-400 breeding pairs  poor  A3, B2  Least Concern 
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus breeding  1996  20-40 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Siberian Tit Parus cinctus resident  1996  200-400 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis breeding  1996  5-10 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla breeding  1996  3,000-6,000 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator breeding  1996  50-100 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus breeding  1996  10-50 breeding pairs  poor  A3, B3  Least Concern 
White-winged Crossbill Loxia leucoptera breeding  1996  20-100 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica breeding  1996  50-100 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Peurahaara - FI1301411 Habitats Directive 46 protected area overlaps with site 15  
Tuntsan erämaa Wilderness Area 21,245 protected area contained by site 21,132  
Tuntsan erämaa - FI1301402 Habitats Directive 21,241 protected area contained by site 21,241  
Värriö - FI1301401 Birds Directive 12,458 protected area contained by site 12,458  
Värriön luonnonpuisto Strict Nature Reserve 12,479 protected area contained by site 12,508  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest   65%
Grassland Tundra  25%
Wetlands (inland) Raised bogs  10%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
tourism/recreation -
nature conservation and research -

Management considerations Part of the area is a candidate SAC.

Protection status National High International None21,132 ha of IBA covered by Wilderness Area (Tuntsa, 21,132 ha). 12,508 ha of IBA covered by Strict Nature Reserve (Värriö, 12,508 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Värriö-Tuntsa. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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