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IS006
Breidafjördur
Location Iceland, Austur-Bardastrandasýsla,Dalasýsla,Snæfellsnes og Hnappadalssýsla,Vestur-Bar-astrandasýsla
Central coordinates 23o 0.00' West  65o 19.00' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4ii, A4iii, B1i, B1ii, B2, B3
Area 300,000 ha
Altitude 0 - 41m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Fuglavernd - BirdLife Iceland (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information The site supports huge numbers of breeding seabirds; Fulmarus glacialis is common but does not meet criteria.

Site description A very large area of coastal waters off western Iceland, containing thousands of islands and islets. The bay is rather shallow and there are extensive intertidal areas adjoining the heavily indented coastline. Habitat also includes marshes and grassland on some of the islands. Land-uses include seaweed-harvesting, exploitation of seals (Phocidae), eider husbandry (Somateria mollissima), traditional harvesting of eggs of Rissa tridactyla, Sterna paradisaea and Larus marinus, chicks of Phalacrocorax aristotelis and P. carbo, and adults of Fratercula arctica, and net-fishing for lumpfish Cyclopterus lumpus.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greylag Goose Anser anser non-breeding  -  2,000-3,000 individuals  poor  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Greylag Goose Anser anser breeding  1997  1,700 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Brent Goose Branta bernicla passage  -  10,000 individuals  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Common Eider Somateria mollissima resident  -  40,000-50,000 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo resident  1994  2,123-3,022 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis resident  -  6,000 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i, B3  Least Concern 
Red Knot Calidris canutus passage  -  200,000 individuals  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus resident  1973  12,000-18,000 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i, B3  Least Concern 
Glaucous Gull Larus hyperboreus resident  1989  4,500-5,000 breeding pairs  good  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla breeding  -  23,000 breeding pairs  -  A4i, B1i  Least Concern 
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle resident  -  530 breeding pairs  -  B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica breeding  -  abundant [units unknown]  -  A4ii, B1ii, B2  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds resident  -  -  unknown  A4iii   
A4iii Species group - waterbirds passage  -  -  unknown  A4iii   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Breidafjordur Conservation Area 286,584 protected area contains site 300,000  
Flatey Nature Reserve 82 protected area contained by site 100  
Hrisey, Reykholahreppi Nature Reserve 223 protected area contained by site 40  
Melrakkaey Nature Reserve 1,611 protected area contained by site 9  
Vatnsfjörð ur Nature Reserve (Landscape) 20,000 protected area contained by site 20,000  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Wetlands (inland) Standing freshwater  -
Sea Sea inlets and coastal features  80%
Coastline Rock stacks and islets; Salt marshes; Sea cliffs and rocky shores; Tidal rivers & enclosed tidal waters  -

Land use

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

Management considerations Predation by introduced American mink Mustela vison and net-fishing for lumpfish both pose threats. Human activities such as tourism, hunt-ing, seaweed-harvesting and eider husbandry (Somateria mollissima) cause disturbance to birds. Gilsfjördur was formerly a mudflat but this was ruined by road-construction (it is now a brackish lagoon), and further road-building in other firths is a threat. A management plan is being developed and is expected to be completed in 1998.

Protection status National High International None100 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Flatey, 100 ha). 40 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Hrisey, 40 ha). 9 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Melrakkaey, 9 ha). 20,000 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Landscape) (Vatnsfjördur, 20,000 ha). 300,000 ha of IBA covered by Conservation Area (Breidafjördur, 300,000 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Breidafjördur. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

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