• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2014

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis	VU	winter	2005-2014	300-1,000 individuals	A1
Velvet Scoter Melanitta fusca	VU	winter	2005-2014	200-700 individuals	A1, B2
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus	VU	winter	2009-2013	50-150 individuals	B1i, B2
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	passage	2004-2013	2,000-4,500 individuals	B1i
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima	LC	winter	2008-2013	600-850 individuals	B1i, B3

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - nutrient loads	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	commercial and industrial development	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Podiceps auritus	Horned Grebe	150	23	individuals	16	very unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Sørkjosleira	Naturreservat	32	protected area contained by site	0
Nordkjosbotn	Naturreservat	8	protected area overlaps with site	0
Kobbevågen	Naturreservat	21	protected area contained by site	0
Balsfjord Wetland System	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	1,915	protected area contained by site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Coastline	Mud flats & sand flats	-
Sea	Sea inlets and coastal features	-
Marine Neritic		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
fisheries/aquaculture	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Balsfjord. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/03/2023.