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EE049
Irbe strait
Location Estonia, Saare County
Central coordinates 21o 51.00' East  57o 49.00' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B1ii, C1, C2, C3, C4, C6
Area 206,640 ha
Altitude
Year of IBA assessment 2003

Eesti Ornitiliigiaühing (EOÜ)



Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greylag Goose Anser anser non-breeding  2002  270 individuals  unknown  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis passage  1999-2001  3,900-6,000 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus passage  1997-1998  200-300 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata passage  2000-2001  400-1,300 individuals  unknown  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Greater Scaup Aythya marila passage  1986  20,000 individuals  medium  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Eider Somateria mollissima non-breeding  2000  15,000 individuals  unknown  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
White-winged Scoter Melanitta fusca winter  1993  191,000 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C3  Not Recognised 
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis winter  1993  30,000-700,000 individuals  good  C3  Vulnerable 
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula passage  1991-2001  4,500-19,500 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Smew Mergellus albellus winter  1994-2000  360 individuals  unknown  B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata passage  1998  1,300 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo passage  2000-2003  3,300-5,000 individuals  unknown  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo breeding  2002  2,500 breeding pairs  unknown  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla breeding  2003  6 breeding pairs  unknown  A1, C1, C6  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta breeding  2001  17 breeding pairs  unknown  C6  Least Concern 
Caspian Tern Sterna caspia breeding  2002  50 breeding pairs  unknown  A4i, B1i, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Razorbill Alca torda winter  1993  300 individuals  unknown  B1ii, C3  Least Concern 
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle winter  1993  3,900 individuals  unknown  B1ii, C3  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  1993  -  unknown  A4iii, C4   
A4iii Species group - waterbirds passage  -  -  unknown  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Abruka - EE0040401 Habitats Directive 963 protected area contained by site 963  
Abruka looduskaitseala Nature Reserve 412 protected area contained by site 412  
Allirahu - EE0040402 Habitats Directive 1,960 protected area overlaps with site 1,383  
Allirahu looduskaitseala Nature Reserve 1,960 protected area contained by site 1,960  
Järve - EE0040408 Habitats Directive 118 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Kaugatoma-Lõu - EE0040441 Birds Directive 5,375 protected area overlaps with site 595  
Kaunispe - EE0040420 Habitats Directive 126 protected area contained by site 126  
Kerju - EE0040421 Habitats Directive 79 protected area contained by site 79  
Kura kurgu - EE0040434 Birds Directive 192,970 protected area contained by site 192,970  
Laidunina - EE0040436 Habitats Directive 84 protected area overlaps with site 78  
Lindmetsa - EE0040440 Habitats Directive 85 protected area contained by site 85  
Ohessaare - EE0040449 Habitats Directive 20 protected area contained by site 20  
Rahuste looduskaitseala Nature Reserve 690 protected area overlaps with site 24  
Ranna - EE0040405 Habitats Directive 23 protected area contained by site 23  
Siplase - EE0040406 Habitats Directive 206 protected area contained by site 206  
Siplase looduskaitseala Nature Reserve 206 protected area contained by site 206  
Tammuna - EE0040479 Habitats Directive 56 protected area contained by site 56  
Vesitükimaa - EE0040490 Habitats Directive 1,261 protected area contained by site 1,261  
Viieristi - EE0040494 Habitats Directive 378 protected area contained by site 378  
Viieristi looduskaitseala Nature Reserve 378 protected area contained by site 378  
West Estonian Archipelago UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve 1,560,000 protected area overlaps with site 195,400  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Sea   91%
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland; Native coniferous woodland  5%
Shrubland   1%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   1%
Grassland   1%
Wetlands (inland) Water fringe vegetation  1%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
fisheries/aquaculture 90%
tourism/recreation -
agriculture 2%
forestry 5%
nature conservation and research 92%
hunting -

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Irbe strait. 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