The site was identified as important in 2004 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Species |
Current IUCN Red List Category |
Season |
Year(s) |
Population estimate at site |
IBA criteria met |
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
4,100 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
170 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
2,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Greylag Goose Anser anser |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
3,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Bean Goose Anser fabalis |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
2,300-5,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
72,500 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
15,000 individuals |
C3 |
Smew Mergellus albellus |
LC |
winter |
1999 |
1,200 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Goosander Mergus merganser |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
3,000 individuals |
C3 |
Common Pochard Aythya ferina |
VU |
passage |
1999 |
35,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula |
LC |
winter |
1999 |
50,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
3,100 individuals |
B1i, C3 |
Gadwall Mareca strepera |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
800 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
19,700 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C3 |
Northern Pintail Anas acuta |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
12,000 individuals |
B1i, C3 |
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
10,000 individuals |
C3 |
Corncrake Crex crex |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
435 males |
A1, B2, C1 |
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
170 males |
B3, C6 |
Little Crake Zapornia parva |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
70 males |
C6 |
Common Coot Fulica atra |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
15,000 individuals |
C3 |
Common Crane Grus grus |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
1,500 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Black Stork Ciconia nigra |
LC |
breeding |
1990 |
4-5 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
36 males |
B2, C6 |
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
5-10 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Ruff Calidris pugnax |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
115 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Dunlin Calidris alpina |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
10 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Great Snipe Gallinago media |
NT |
breeding |
1999 |
60 males |
A1, C1 |
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
3 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
30 breeding pairs |
B2 |
Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
2,500 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Little Tern Sternula albifrons |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
40-100 breeding pairs |
B2, C6 |
Little Tern Sternula albifrons |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
500 individuals |
C2 |
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
500 individuals |
A4i, B1i, C2 |
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
15 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Black Tern Chlidonias niger |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
500 breeding pairs |
B2, C6 |
Black Tern Chlidonias niger |
LC |
passage |
1999 |
15,000 individuals |
C2 |
Common Tern Sterna hirundo |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
150 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
3 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Eurasian Eagle-owl Bubo bubo |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
3 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
80 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
5-10 breeding pairs |
C6 |
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
9 breeding pairs |
A1, C1 |
White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla |
LC |
winter |
1999 |
70-80 individuals |
A1, C1 |
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
10 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Red-backed Shrike Lanius collurio |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
200 breeding pairs |
C6 |
Aquatic Warbler Acrocephalus paludicola |
VU |
breeding |
1999 |
40-50 breeding pairs |
A1, B2, C1 |
Ortolan Bunting Emberiza hortulana |
LC |
breeding |
1999 |
3 breeding pairs |
C6 |
A4iv Species group - soaring birds/cranes |
n/a |
passage |
1999 |
3,000 individuals |
B1iv, C5 |
A4iii Species group - waterbirds |
n/a |
passage |
1996-1999 |
100,000-499,999 individuals |
A4iii, C4 |
The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2004).
Protected area (PA) |
PA designation |
PA area (ha) |
Relationship of PA with IBA |
Overlap of PA with IBA (ha) |
Sausgalvių pievos
|
Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) |
356 |
protected area overlaps with site |
0 |
Nemuno deltos regioninis parkas
|
Valstybinis parkas |
29,069 |
is identical to site |
28,953 |
Nemuno delta
|
Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) |
26,310 |
protected area contained by site |
26,673 |
Nemuno delta
|
Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) |
23,921 |
protected area contained by site |
23,921 |
Nemunas Delta Regional Park
|
Baltic Sea Protected Area (HELCOM) |
29,013 |
is identical to site |
28,832 |
Nemunas Delta
|
Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance |
28,952 |
protected area overlaps with site |
23,950 |
Minijos upės slėnis
|
Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) |
2,175 |
protected area is adjacent to site |
0 |
Minijos upė
|
Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) |
1,870 |
protected area overlaps with site |
166 |
Minijos ichtiologinis draustinis
|
Gamtinis draustinis |
2,021 |
protected area is adjacent to site |
0 |
Kursiu marios Biosphere Polygon
|
Biosferos poligonas |
31,138 |
protected area is adjacent to site |
0 |
Kursiu Marios Biosphere Polygon
|
Baltic Sea Protected Area (HELCOM) |
31,126 |
protected area is adjacent to site |
0 |
Kuršių marios
|
Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) |
37,910 |
protected area overlaps with site |
2,748 |
For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click