email a friend
printable version
SE005
Lake Tjålmejaure-Laisdalen valley
Location Sweden, Norrbotten
Central coordinates 16o 16.57' East  66o 14.44' North
IBA criteria A3, B2, C6
Area 29,000 ha
Altitude 460 - 1,029m
Year of IBA assessment 2000

Sveriges Ornitologiska Förening



Ornithological information Important for breeding waterbirds, raptors and waders, and one of the final staging areas for northward-moving spring migrants. Breeding birds include nine out of the 32 species in Europe that are restricted (when breeding) to the Arctic/tundra biome. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Gallinago media.

Site description Two converging valleys in the mountains of northern Sweden, containing small rivers and their deltas. The southern valley holds a large lake system with flat shores, which form an important nesting habitat for waterbirds. The narrower northern valley contains the River Laisälven, which is bordered by a strip of marshland and surrounded by Betula forest, with some Pinus.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus breeding  -  1 breeding pairs  -  A3  Vulnerable 
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata breeding  -  5-10 breeding pairs  -  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Gyr Falcon Falco rusticolus breeding  -  2-3 breeding pairs  -  A3, B2  Least Concern 
Rough-legged Hawk Buteo lagopus breeding  -  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus breeding  -  40-70 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola breeding  -  30-40 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima breeding  -  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus breeding  -  10-30 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus breeding  -  5-20 breeding pairs  -  A3  Least Concern 
Snowy Owl Bubo scandiaca breeding  -  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus breeding  -  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Laisälven - SE0820737 Habitats Directive 11,064 protected area overlaps with site 2,522  
Laisdalens fjällurskog Nature Reserve 79,832 protected area overlaps with site 6,300  
Laisdalens fjällurskog - SE0820056 Habitats Directive 72,629 protected area overlaps with site 6,296  
Lake Tjalmejaure--Laisdalen valley Bird Sanctuary 0 protected area overlaps with site 0  
Tjålmejaure Wildlife and Plant Sanctuary 47,904 protected area overlaps with site 25,051  
Tjålmejaure - Laisdalen Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 21,400 protected area contained by site 21,400  
Tjålmejaure - SE0820714 Birds Directive 21,602 protected area contained by site 21,602  
Yrafdeltat Nature Reserve 724 protected area overlaps with site 500  
Yraft - SE0820294 Habitats Directive 724 protected area overlaps with site 488  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Native coniferous woodland  -
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
tourism/recreation 60%

Management considerations No serious threats are known at the site.

Protection status National Partial International HighIBA overlaps with extensive Bird Sanctuary. IBA overlaps with Nature Reserve (500 ha). 21,400 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Tjålmejaure-Laisdalen, 21,400 ha).

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Tjålmejaure-Laisdalen valley. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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