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The site was identified as important in 2000 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
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	VU	breeding	1996	1 breeding pairs	A3
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis	VU	breeding	1996	100 breeding pairs	A3
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra	LC	breeding	1996	50 breeding pairs	A3
Smew Mergellus albellus	LC	breeding	1996	5-20 breeding pairs	B2, C2
Greater Scaup Aythya marila	LC	breeding	1996	30-50 breeding pairs	A3
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata	LC	breeding	1996	10-50 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	breeding	1996	300-1,000 breeding pairs	B3, C6
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	LC	breeding	1996	100-300 breeding pairs	C2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	breeding	1996	1-5 breeding pairs	A3
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii	LC	breeding	1996	50-100 breeding pairs	A3
Purple Sandpiper Calidris maritima	LC	breeding	1996	10 breeding pairs	A3
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	breeding	1996	200-500 breeding pairs	A3, C2
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus	LC	breeding	1996	5-10 breeding pairs	A3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	breeding	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	B2
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus	LC	breeding	1996	20-200 breeding pairs	A3
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	breeding	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus	VU	breeding	1996	10 breeding pairs	A3, B2, C6
Gyrfalcon Falco rusticolus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	LC	breeding	1996	20,000 breeding pairs	C2
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus	LC	breeding	1996	50-100 breeding pairs	A3
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	LC	breeding	1996	30,000 breeding pairs	B3
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus	LC	breeding	1996	500-2,000 breeding pairs	A3
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis	LC	breeding	1996	3,000-8,000 breeding pairs	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2000) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2000. The most recent assessment (2010) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus	40	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Long-tailed Duck Clangula hyemalis	250	250	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Greater Scaup Aythya marila	120	120	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	7,500	7,800	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	1,400	1,400	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	45	45	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii	800	800	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus	200	200	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Long-tailed Jaeger Stercorarius longicaudus	1,100	1,100	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Snowy Owl Bubo scandiacus	10	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	15,000	4,500	breeding pairs	30	very unfavourable
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	30,000	27,000	breeding pairs	90	near favourable
Lapland Longspur Calcarius lapponicus	20,000	30,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis	1,700	1,700	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1988	Annjalonin luonnonsuojelualue	Valtion luonnonsuojelualue	<1
1991	Käsivarren erämaa	Erämaa-alue	79
1996	Käsivarren Erämaa	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	89
1998	Käsivarren Erämaa	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	88
2000	Tornionjoen-Muonionjoen vesistöalue	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	11

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland	Tundra	70
Unknown		15
Wetlands (inland)	Raised bogs	15

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
tourism/recreation	-
other	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Käsivarsi fjelds (Finland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/käsivarsi-fjelds-iba-finland on 23/11/2024.