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

The site was identified as important in 2014 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
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

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2014) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2014. The most recent assessment (2019) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Horned Grebe Podiceps auritus	150	23	individuals	16	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Residential and commercial development	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1995	Kobbevågen	Naturreservat	10
1995	Sørkjosleira	Naturreservat	6
1995	Nordkjosbotn	Naturreservat	1
2002	Balsfjord Wetland System	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	16

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Neritic		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Balsfjord (Norway). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/balsfjord-iba-norway on 23/11/2024.