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close| Location | Poland, pomorskie |
| Central coordinates | 18o 57.00' East 54o 21.00' North |
| IBA criteria | C1, C2, C3, C4, C6 |
| Area | 642 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 2m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2010 |
Ornithological information A very important site for wintering, migrating and breeding waterbirds, regularly holding well over 20,000 individuals, sometimes exceeding 150,000 birds. In late summer and early autumn wader passage is intense, with very high rates of turn-over; Calidris species dominate (up to 8,000 waders ringed in a season). When flooded, the meadows near the southern border of the IBA support thousands of ducks and waders. Other waterbirds supported in high numbers include Clangula hyemalis (30,000, winter) and non-breeding terns in summer/autumn (max. 1,000 Sterna sandvicensis; max. 3,000 Sterna hirundo). Overall, at least 22 waterbird species have been recorded breeding, with at least 120 waterbird species recorded in the non-breeding season.
Site description A 6 km stretch of the lower Wis³a (Vistula) river from Przegalina sluice to the river mouth, including a strip of meadows along the right bank (between Mikoszewo and Drewnica). Habitats include sandy peninsulas, mobile sandflats, small sandy islets, temporary lakes and adjacent dunes, freshwater lakes on either side of the Wis³a channel, and a small patch of coastal forest. The vegetation is very species-rich and at the river mouth shows all stages of natural succession from bare sandflats to bushes and forest on the oldest areas. Willow Salix has been planted to stabilize dunes. The meadows are flooded in spring (occasionally at other seasons) and are grazed, mainly by cattle.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula | winter | 2004-2009 | 1,500-22,700 individuals | good | C3 | Least Concern |
| Common Merganser Mergus merganser | winter | 2004-2009 | 400-6,500 individuals | good | C3 | Least Concern |
| Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus | passage | 2004-2009 | 10-300 individuals | good | C2 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | passage | 2007-2009 | 100 individuals | good | C1 | Near Threatened |
| Little Gull Larus minutus | passage | 2007-2009 | 1,500-5,000 individuals | good | C2 | Least Concern |
| Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis | passage | 2007-2009 | 2,000 individuals | poor | C2 | Least Concern |
| Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis | breeding | 2007-2009 | 300-570 breeding pairs | good | C2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | breeding | 2007-2009 | 300-360 breeding pairs | poor | C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Tern Sterna albifrons | breeding | 2007-2009 | 40-50 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | winter | 2004-2009 | 31,700 individuals | good | C4 |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mewia Lacha | Nature Reserve | 150 | protected area contained by site | 150 |
|
| Mewia Lacha (acha) | Nature Reserve | 150 | unknown | 150 | |
| Ostoja w Ujsciu Wisty - PLH220044 | Habitats Directive | 884 | protected area overlaps with site | 446 | |
| Ujscie Wisty - PLB220004 | Birds Directive | 1,748 | protected area contains site | 642 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Alluvial and very wet forest; Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland; Native coniferous woodland | 10% |
| Shrubland | Scrub | 5% |
| Grassland | Humid grasslands; Steppes and dry calcareous grassland | 25% |
| Wetlands (inland) | Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation | - |
| Coastline | Salt marshes; Sand dunes & beaches | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 50% |
| forestry | 5% |
| tourism/recreation | 5% |
| agriculture | 5% |
| nature conservation and research | 35% |
| hunting | - |
Management considerations Tourism/recreation, hunting, poaching and uncontrolled human access all lead to significant disturbance of birds. Storms in spring/summer flood the tern Sterna colonies on islets, forcing birds to re-nest in less safe areas. Locally increasing populations of gulls Larus argentatus and mammalian predators are reducing the number of nesting waders and terns. A proposed series of dams along the lower Wis³a (`cascadization') is potentially a great threat to the area. Gdañsk Ornithological Station is carrying out a long-term study of wader migration.
Protection status National Partial International None150 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Mewia £acha, 150 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vistula river mouth. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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