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IS034
Skardsfjördur
Location Iceland, Austur-Skaftafellssýsla
Central coordinates 15o 4.00' West  64o 16.00' North
IBA criteria A4iii, B1i
Area 1,050 ha
Altitude 0 - 14m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Fuglavernd - BirdLife Iceland (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information Other notable waders on passage include Haematopus ostralegus (hundreds), Charadrius hiaticula (1,000), Calidris canutus (min. 2,000) and Limosa limosa (hundreds).

Site description A brackish coastal lagoon with intertidal mudflats, by the town of Höfn on the western shore of Skardsfjördur and along the coast from Austurfjörur to Hornsvík.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Common Eider Somateria mollissima non-breeding  1992  10,000 individuals  -  B1i  Least Concern 
Dunlin Calidris alpina passage  -  5,000-10,000 individuals  poor  B1i  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds unknown  -  20,000 individuals  unknown  A4iii   

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland) Standing brackish and salt water  -
Coastline Mud flats & sand flats  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
fisheries/aquaculture -
urban/industrial/transport -
military -
nature conservation and research -

Management considerations The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register.

Protection status National Low International None15 ha of IBA covered by Country Park (Osland, 15 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Skardsfjördur. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

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