Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
Kirkkojärvi lake and Lupinlahti Bay are two wetlands adjacent to the town of Hamina. Kirkkojärvi lake, is almost totally covered by vegetation (reed
Phragmites, etc.). It was previously heavily polluted by nutrients, and is still prone to silting but is managed by periodically raising the water-level. Lupinlahti Bay is a shallow, 5 km long, narrow bay of the Gulf of Finland, with reedbeds up to 200 m wide. Some parts of the shoreline are rocky, others have meadows and forests, with several houses and summer cottages.
The area is also a nationally important staging area during spring for
Cygnus columbianus (100-150 birds). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Haliaeetus albicilla (1-5 individuals, passage),
Crex crex (1 pair, breeding).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Intensive hunting in autumn and professional net fishing almost all-year-round cause disturbance to birds. There is a birdwatching tower at Kirkkojärvi lake. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
National Partial
International High54 ha of IBA covered by Protected Area on Private Land (Suviranta, 54 ha). 720 ha of IBA covered by two Special Protection Areas (Kikkojärvi; Pappilansaari-Lupinlahti).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kirkkojärvi lake and Lupinlahti bay (Finland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kirkkojärvi-lake-and-lupinlahti-bay-iba-finland on 23/12/2024.
