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close| Location | Poland, pomorskie,warminsko-mazurskie |
| Central coordinates | 19o 29.00' East 54o 19.00' North |
| IBA criteria | C2, C3, C4, C6 |
| Area | 33,632 ha |
| Altitude | 2 m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2010 |
Ornithological information The site regularly supports 20,000 or more waterbirds, mainly wildfowl Anser/Anas. Breeding species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Haliaeetus albicilla (at least one pair), Crex crex (4-10 pairs). The most important parts of the site for birds in general are Elbl¹g Bay and the Pas³êka mouth. Non-breeding birds occur mainly in the coastal zone, from Przebrno village to the Pas³êka mouth.
Site description The site comprises the Polish part of this large, shallow coastal lagoon (up to 5 m deep) of brackish water, which is cut off from the Baltic Sea by the Wiœla spit. A narrow channel in the Russian part of the lagoon, through which sea water flows during heavy storms, joins the water-body with the Baltic Sea (Gulf of Gdañsk). There is some river flow to the Polish part of the lagoon from the west, comprising a few branches of the Wis³a (Vistula) river deriving from the uplands. The water-level fluctuates significantly on a daily basis (by up to 1.5 m) because of wind effects. There are extensive reedbeds (Phragmites) along the shore, forming one or two belts up to 100 m wide, as well as rich floating and submerged vegetation (Nymphaea, Potamogeton) which supports a very rich invertebrate and fish fauna. Land-uses include intensive reed-harvesting (`Other').
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons | passage | 2006 | 15,600 individuals | good | C3 | Least Concern |
| Mute Swan Cygnus olor | passage | 1995-2003 | 1,800-3,500 individuals | - | C3 | Least Concern |
| Smew Mergellus albellus | passage | 2006-2009 | 500-2,000 individuals | poor | C2 | Least Concern |
| Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo | breeding | 2009 | 8,918-10,226 breeding pairs | good | C3 | Least Concern |
| White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla | breeding | 2006-2009 | 8-10 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Spotted Crake Porzana porzana | breeding | 1995-2003 | 20-100 males only | - | C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Gull Larus minutus | passage | 2006-2009 | 400-5,500 individuals | poor | C2 | Least Concern |
| Black Tern Chlidonias niger | breeding | 2006-2009 | 80-160 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | passage | 2006-2008 | 22,000-26,000 individuals | good | C4 |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dolina Pasteki - PLB280002 | Birds Directive | 20,670 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 | |
| Zalew Wislany - PLB280010 | Birds Directive | 32,224 | protected area contained by site | 32,224 | |
| Zalew Wislany i Mierzeja Wislana - PLH280007 | Habitats Directive | 40,863 | protected area contains site | 33,632 | |
| Zatoka Elblaska | Nature Reserve | 420 | protected area contained by site | 420 |
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Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | Water fringe vegetation | - |
| Coastline | Lagoons | - |
| Forest | 1% | |
| Grassland | 1% | |
| Other | 1% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 60% |
| other | 10% |
| tourism/recreation | 20% |
| hunting | 10% |
Management considerations Heavy nutrient pollution from agriculture, industry and domestic sewage is a threat. Birds become trapped in fish-nets. The changes in water-level affect breeding birds. Intensive reed-harvesting is also a problem (`Other'). The entire IBA lies within the buffer zones of two Landscape Parks (Mierzeja Wiœlana, 22,390 ha; Wzniesienie Elbl¹skie, 48,591 ha), approximately equally divided between the two.
Protection status National Low International None420 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Zatoka Elbl¹ska, 420 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Vistula Lagoon. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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