The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2000 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:
| Species |
Red List |
Season (year/s of estimate) |
Size |
IBA criteria |
| Common Eider Somateria mollissima |
NT |
breeding (1988) |
9,500 breeding pairs |
A4i, B1i |
| Common Eider Somateria mollissima |
NT |
non-breeding (1988) |
10,000–12,000 individuals |
B1i |
| Common Goldeneye Bucephala clangula |
LC |
non-breeding (1988) |
10,000 individuals |
A4i, B1i |
| Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle |
LC |
breeding (1988) |
300–500 breeding pairs |
B1ii, B2 |
| White-tailed Sea-eagle Haliaeetus albicilla |
LC |
breeding (1988) |
12 breeding pairs |
A1, B2 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds |
n/a |
non-breeding (1988) |
20,000-49,999 individuals |
A4iii |
Local Conservation Groups
The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.
| Name |
Year formed |
| Caretaker of Kandalakshski Zaliv |
2004 |
For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit
Spotlight on local empowerment.
| Habitat |
% of IBA |
Habitat detail |
| Marine Neritic |
80 |
|
| Grassland |
10 |
Humid grasslands |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal |
- |
|
| Land use |
% of IBA |
| nature conservation and research |
100 |
| fisheries/aquaculture |
- |
| hunting |
- |
| tourism/recreation |
- |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kandalaksha Bay (Russia (European)). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kandalaksha-bay-iba-russia-(european) on 20/01/2025.
