FI050
Värtsilä valley


Country/territory: Finland

IBA criteria met: A1, B2, C1, C6 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 745 ha

BirdLife SUOMI-FINLAND
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2010 very unfavourable high medium
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2000 baseline)
A diverse, fertile, open valley surrounded by large areas of woodland situated around the settlement of Värtsilä. The area includes two small, shallow, eutrophic lakes, Sääperi and Uudenkylänlampi, surrounded by farmland, mostly cereals, and also by wild meadows. The Jänisjoki river flows across the area, into Lake Ladoga in Russia.

Key biodiversity
One of the few known regular breeding sites in Finland for Emberiza aureola (3-7 pairs). Tringa stagnatilis has bred twice during the 1985-1995 period. Also a nationally important spring staging area for Anser fabalis (400-600 birds), Tringa erythropus (100-500 birds), T. nebularia (100-500 birds) and Calcarius lapponicus (1,000-5,000 birds). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Circus macrourus (max. 3 birds, passage), Aquila clanga (max. 1 bird, passage), Gallinago media (1-5 birds, passage).


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Värtsilä valley. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/värtsilä-valley-iba-finland on 19/03/2024.