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PL057
Lower Bug river valley
Location Poland, lubelskie,mazowieckie,podlaskie
Central coordinates 22o 21.00' East  52o 19.00' North
IBA criteria C1, C2, C6
Area 73,380 ha
Altitude 85 - 116m
Year of IBA assessment 2010

Ogólnopolskie Towarzystwo Ochrony Ptaków



Ornithological information The site supports more breeding Charadrius hiaticula than any other inland site in Europe.

Site description The site contains the channel and valley of the Bug river between the Krzna river tributary and the Zegrzyñski reservoir (260 km), with adjacent extensive dry pastures. The whole area floods in spring. There are some swamps and mires at the mouths of tributaries entering the Bug. The river channel is generally natural, not too modified by man, so there are numerous bare sand islands and others overgrown with ruderal herbs or willow Salix scrub. Elsewhere there are also local remnants of willow or poplar Populus scrub. On the lowest river terrace there are numerous oxbow lakes, differing in size, depth and extent of aquatic vegetation (Potamogeton, Lemna).

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
White Stork Ciconia ciconia breeding  1996-1999  240-260 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus breeding  1996-1999  71-85 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus breeding  1999  23-30 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Corncrake Crex crex breeding  1999  540-700 males only  -  C1, C6  Least Concern 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breeding  1999  50 males only  unknown  C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  1999  62-70 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 
Black Tern Chlidonias niger breeding  1998-1999  360-380 breeding pairs  -  C2, C6  Least Concern 
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis breeding  1999  82 breeding pairs  -  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Dolina Dolnego Bugu - PLB140001 Birds Directive 74,310 protected area contains site 73,380  
Dolina Liwca - PLB140002 Birds Directive 27,432 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
L/êg Dêbowy Nature Reserve 133 protected area contained by site 133  
Nadbuÿañski Obszar Chronionego Krajobrazu Protected Landscape Area 55,300 protected area overlaps with site 17,500  
Nadbuzanski Park Krajobrazowy Landscape Park 57,768 protected area overlaps with site 33,000  
Ostoja Nadbużanska - PLH140011 Habitats Directive 46,037 protected area overlaps with site 42,501  
Ostoja Nadliwiecka - PLH140032 Habitats Directive 13,623 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Podlaski Przóom Bugu Landscape Park 30,904 protected area overlaps with site 15,000  
Puszcza Biata - PLB140007 Birds Directive 83,780 protected area is adjacent to site 0  
Skarpa Moóo_ewska Nature Reserve 2 protected area contained by site 2  
Wydma Moóo_ewska Nature Reserve 64 protected area contained by site 64  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Alluvial and very wet forest  10%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   20%
Grassland Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands  60%
Wetlands (inland) Fens, transition mires and springs; Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation  7%
Other   3%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
hunting -

Management considerations Threats include dam-building, conversion of meadows to arable land, building of infrastructure for recreation, and reduced numbers of cattle with consequent reductions in extent of pasture.

Protection status National Partial International None133 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (£êg Dêbowy, 133 ha). 2 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Skarpa Mo³o¿ewska, 2 ha). 64 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Wydma Mo³o¿ewska, 64 ha). 33,000 ha of IBA covered by Landscape Park (Nadbu¿añski, 53,680 ha). 15,000 ha of IBA covered by Landscape Park (Podlaski Prze³om Bugu, 30,904 ha). 17,500 ha of IBA covered by Protected Landscape Area (Nadbu¿añski, 55,300 ha).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lower Bug river valley. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 26/05/2013

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