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close| Location | Iceland, Gardabær,Kópavogur,Kjósarsýsla,Reykjavík,Seltjarnarnesbær |
| Central coordinates | 22o 0.00' West 64o 4.00' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, B1i |
| Area | 3,300 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 5m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2000 |
Ornithological information An important area for coastal waterbirds. Other species in notable numbers include Clangula hyemalis (wintering), Haematopus ostralegus (c.60 breeding pairs; 200+ staging on passage), Calidris alpina (few hundreds staging on passage), Tringa totanus (few hundreds staging on passage), and hundreds to thousands of large gulls in winter (Larus argentatus, L. glaucoides, L. hyperboreus and L. marinus).
Site description A coastal area in and near the capital, with sea bays, shingle and stony beaches, peninsulas, intertidal flats, brackish lagoons and marshes. The area extends from Bali on álftanes along the coast, inwards to Skerjafjördur and up to the north part of Seltjarnarnes. Eider husbandry (Somateria mollissima) is practised at Bessastadir.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | passage | - | 205-1,334 individuals | good | B1i | Least Concern |
| Common Eider Somateria mollissima | resident | - | 3,200 breeding pairs | - | B1i | Least Concern |
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | passage | - | 200 individuals | - | A4i, B1i | Least Concern |
| Red Knot Calidris canutus | passage | - | 3,000 individuals | - | B1i | Least Concern |
| Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima | winter | - | 1,000 individuals | medium | A4i, B1i | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Grotta | Nature Reserve | 29 | protected area contained by site | 5 |
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Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 5% | |
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing brackish and salt water | - |
| Sea | Sea inlets and coastal features | 70% |
| Coastline | Mud flats & sand flats; Salt marshes; Sea cliffs and rocky shores | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| agriculture | - |
Management considerations Birds are disturbed by local people and tourists. The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register. The site is an enlarged and re-named version of the IBA `álftanes', formerly IS020 in the previous international IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989).
Protection status National None International None5 ha of IBA covered by unknown type of protected area (Grötta, 5 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Skerjafjördur. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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