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close| Location | Poland, kujawsko-pomorskie,pomorskie |
| Central coordinates | 18o 25.00' East 53o 23.00' North |
| IBA criteria | C1, C2, C4, C6 |
| Area | 36,380 ha |
| Altitude | 1 - 50m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2010 |
Ornithological information A total of 126 bird species have been recorded breeding or probably breeding at the site, including the largest number of Crex crex (153 calling males in 1998) at any site in the Wis³a valley. The area also supports significant parts of the national breeding populations of Charadrius hiaticula, Charadrius dubius, Sterna hirundo and Sterna albifrons. In 1994 a total of c.37,000 waterbirds were estimated to occur along the river in the late summer post-breeding period, and 46,500 in winter (mainly ducks).
Site description The site comprises a 260-km stretch of the Wis³a (Vistula) river flood-plain (of which about 190 km is embanked against floods), between W³oc³awek town in the south and Przegalina sluice (6 km from the Wis³a river mouth) in the north. The terrain is highly varied. Riverbanks or slopes are dozens of metres high in some places, very flat and low-lying in others. The riverbed itself constitutes about quarter of the site's area; the rest consists of meadows, scrub (mainly willow Salix), small patches of riverine forest, and numerous oxbow lakes and wetlands. The river passes through some quite large towns (e.g. Toruñ, Bydgoszcz, Grudzi¹dz, Tczew).
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White-tailed Eagle Haliaeetus albicilla | breeding | 2007-2008 | 15-19 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Corncrake Crex crex | breeding | 2006-2009 | 98-120 males only | good | C1 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | passage | 2005-2008 | 6,000-8,000 individuals | good | C2 | Least Concern |
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | passage | 2005-2008 | 750-1,100 individuals | good | C1 | Near Threatened |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | breeding | 2004-2008 | 255-353 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Little Tern Sterna albifrons | breeding | 2004-2008 | 102-119 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Black Tern Chlidonias niger | breeding | 1998 | 60 breeding pairs | - | C6 | Least Concern |
| Sand Martin Riparia riparia | breeding | 2009 | 9,000 breeding pairs | unknown | Least Concern | |
| Barred Warbler Sylvia nisoria | breeding | 1998-2000 | 360 breeding pairs | medium | C6 | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | passage | 2004-2009 | 20,000 individuals | poor | C4 |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cytadela Grudziadz - PLH040014 | Habitats Directive | 223 | protected area overlaps with site | 50 | |
| Dolina Dolnej Wisty - PLB040003 | Birds Directive | 33,559 | protected area overlaps with site | 28,812 | |
| Dolina Drwecy - PLH280001 | Habitats Directive | 12,562 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 | |
| Dolna Wista - PLH220033 | Habitats Directive | 10,374 | protected area overlaps with site | 6,793 | |
| Dybowska Dolina Wisty - PLH040011 | Habitats Directive | 1,392 | protected area overlaps with site | 1,004 | |
| Linie NR (Peatbog Reserve) | Nature Reserve | 13 | unknown | 12 | |
| Nieszawska Dolina Wisty - PLH040012 | Habitats Directive | 3,892 | protected area overlaps with site | 3,040 | |
| Solecka Dolina Wisty - PLH040003 | Habitats Directive | 7,030 | protected area overlaps with site | 5,980 | |
| Ujscie Wisty - PLB220004 | Birds Directive | 1,748 | protected area is adjacent to site | 0 | |
| Wielka Ke/pa [Forest Reserve] | Nature Reserve | 28 | protected area contained by site | 28 | |
| Wtoctawska Dolina Wisty - PLH040039 | Habitats Directive | 4,764 | protected area overlaps with site | 2,736 | |
| Zespó Nadwiolañskich Parków Krajobrazowych | Landscape Park | 25,965 | unknown | 33,306 | |
| Zespo/l/ Nadwis/lan/skich Parko/w Krajobrazowych | Landscape Park | 35,400 | protected area overlaps with site | 10,000 |
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Alluvial and very wet forest | 8% |
| Grassland | Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands | 21% |
| Wetlands (inland) | Fens, transition mires and springs; Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation | 31% |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) | Other urban and industrial areas | 38% |
| Other | 2% |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 20% |
| fisheries/aquaculture | 25% |
| tourism/recreation | 5% |
| urban/industrial/transport | 20% |
| not utilised | 15% |
| unknown | 15% |
| hunting | - |
Management considerations The greatest threat is a potential one: the possible construction of a series of dams along the Wis³a river (`cascadization').
Protection status National Partial International NoneAbout 10,000 ha covered by Landscape Park (Zespó³ Nadwiœlañskich, 35,400 ha).
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lower Vistula River Valley. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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