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NO030
Vega archipelago
Location Norway, Nordland
Central coordinates 11o 45.00' East  65o 49.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B1ii, B2, B3
Area 50,000 ha
Altitude 0 - 800m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Norsk Ornitologisk Forening



Ornithological information Haliaeetus albicilla is common all year-round. Anser brachyrhynchus is numerous on passage in spring. A wide variety of waders often breed, and large numbers stage on the island shores in early autumn. Seaduck are the most common wintering waterbirds in the shallow areas west and north of the main island, and include Somateria spectabilis (c.500).

Site description Vega is an archipelago of several thousand small islands and islets. Some of the largest islands are partly cultivated and inhabited. The landscape is a mosaic of peatbogs and rocky areas, with scattered brackish tarns between Viksås and Holand, and near Valen, as well as some freshwater ponds. Intertidal areas are extensive, with seaweed beds, nutrient-rich mud, and rock, sand and gravel; the most important mudflats for birds are on the northern side of the main island.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greylag Goose Anser anser non-breeding  1989  4,000 individuals  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis passage  1989  10,500 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Common Eider Somateria mollissima winter  1986  15,000-31,000 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Common Eider Somateria mollissima breeding  1986  5,000-6,000 breeding pairs  good  B1i  Least Concern 
Common Eider Somateria mollissima non-breeding  1986  4,500-5,000 individuals  good  B1i  Least Concern 
Common Loon Gavia immer winter  1986  200 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo breeding  1989  3,500 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis breeding  1989  300 breeding pairs  -  B3  Least Concern 
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla resident  1996  10 breeding pairs  medium  A1, B2  Least Concern 
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima winter  1989  1,100 individuals  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle resident  1986  2,100 breeding pairs  -  B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  1986  -  unknown  A4iii   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Kjellerhaugvatn Nature Reserve 0 protected area contained by site 0  
Sveavatn Nature Reserve 0 protected area contained by site 0  
Vikåsleirene Nature Reserve 0 protected area contained by site 0  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland) Blanket bogs; Standing brackish and salt water  -
Sea Open Sea; Sea inlets and coastal features  -
Coastline Mud flats & sand flats; Rock stacks and islets  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
tourism/recreation -
agriculture -
fisheries/aquaculture -

Management considerations The absence since 1980 of sheep-grazing and traditional land management on the outer islands, the preferred staging areas for Branta leucopsis, has reduced the availability of suitable plant food for the geese and has forced them to stage on the inner, inhabited islands. Here, through their grazing on crops, the geese are in conflict with farmers. Experiments to scare the geese from some agricultural areas have been carried out. The former staging areas are no longer suitable for Branta leucopsis due to domination of the sward by perennial herbs (Filipendula) and due to a large increase in the abundance of voles Microtus. Oil production in the Norwegian Sea outside Nordland County represents a potential threat to the many seabirds wintering in the waters around Vega. Part of the area is a proposed National Park.

Protection status National Partial International NonePart of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Kjellerhaugvatn; area unknown). Part of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Sveavatn; area unknown). Part of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Vikåsleirene; area unknown).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vega archipelago. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013

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