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PL062
Warta River Mouth
Location Poland, lubuskie
Central coordinates 14o 43.00' East  52o 34.00' North
IBA criteria C1, C2, C3, C4, C6
Area 32,800 ha
Altitude 10 - 16m
Year of IBA assessment 2010

Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków



Ornithological information A very important area for moulting, staging, wintering and roosting waterbirds, mainly wildfowl. Up to 33,000 duck (Anatidae) stage here during spring migration, with up to 78,000 in autumn. Over 240 species have been recorded, including 160 breeding species. Data in table are for 1991-1996 unless otherwise stated

Site description The site includes the flood-plain of the Warta river, where it meets the Odra river, and the lower course of the Postomia river. There are unregulated stretches of river, oxbow lakes, old drainage channels, small lakes, periodically flooded meadows, and pastures. The area floods almost every year, with annual fluctuations in water-level of up to 3.5 m. Highest levels are in March and April. In some years the whole area is underwater all year, in others for only a few months or not at all. Accordingly, the vegetation varies in different years. During heavy floods water-fringe vegetation predominates, mainly reed Phragmites and especially reed-grass Glyceria and canary-grass Phalaris, occupying a few hundred hectares. Large areas that have recently emerged from water are occupied by ruderal herbs Polygonum/Bidens. When the flood is limited or does not occur, such vegetation dies and is replaced by dry-ground vegetation and willow Salix bushes.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Bean Goose Anser fabalis passage  2005-2008  17,000-90,000 individuals  good  C3  Least Concern 
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons winter  1995-2003  25,000 individuals  -  C3  Least Concern 
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons passage  2005-2008  10,000-45,000 individuals  good  C3  Least Concern 
Greylag Goose Anser anser passage  1995-2003  5,000 individuals  -  C3  Least Concern 
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus winter  2005-2008  1,000-3,000 individuals  good  C2  Least Concern 
Gadwall Anas strepera breeding  2005-2008  30-100 breeding pairs  good    Least Concern 
Great Egret Casmerodius albus passage  2008-2009  500 individuals  good  C2  Least Concern 
Corncrake Crex crex breeding  2005-2008  50-350 males only  medium  C1, C6  Least Concern 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breeding  2005-2008  2-43 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 
Common Coot Fulica atra passage  1995-2003  19,300 individuals  -  C3  Least Concern 
Common Crane Grus grus passage  2005-2008  400-5,200 individuals  good  C2  Least Concern 
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa breeding  2005-2009  10-16 breeding pairs  good  C1  Near Threatened 
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata breeding  2005-2009  10-12 breeding pairs  good  C1  Near Threatened 
Black-headed Gull Larus ridibundus breeding  2005-2008  1,500-3,400 breeding pairs  good    Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  2005-2008  36-200 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida breeding  2005-2008  30-160 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Black Tern Chlidonias niger breeding  2005-2008  50-80 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola breeding  2005-2008  4-8 males only  good  C1  Vulnerable 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds passage  2005-2009  130,000-150,000 individuals  poor  C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Park Krajobrazowy Ujscie Warty Landscape Park 21,030 protected area overlaps with site 4,244  
Slonsk Nature Reserve 4,166 protected area contained by site 4,166  
Slonsk Reserve Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 4,235 protected area contained by site 4,235  
Ujscie Warty - PLC080001 Birds Directive 33,297 protected area contains site 32,800  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Alluvial and very wet forest  4%
Grassland Humid grasslands  50%
Wetlands (inland)   3%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 10%
water management 100%

Management considerations Threats include a lack of water in some years (due to management of water-levels primarily for human uses), overgrazing by domestic geese and cattle, strong expansion of willow Salix scrub (partly due to abandonment of agriculture), disturbance of birds, river dredging, and recreation, tourism and hunting.

Protection status National High International High4,244 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (S³oñsk, 4,244 ha). 4,244 ha of IBA covered by Landscape Park (Ujœcie Warty, 28,000 ha). 4,244 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (S³oñsk, 4,244 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Warta River Mouth. 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