Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
An extensive, open and barren lakeland area forming part of the very large inland waterway of Saimaa lake. The site mainly comprises open water with small scattered islands, although a few are larger and forested. These forests hold an unusually high proportion of deciduous (mainly
Betula) trees, as a result of slash-and-burn agriculture which was common in the area until the beginning of this century. The lake is nutrient-poor (oligotrophic) and the shores support only a few beds of sparse reed
Phragmites.
Also a nationally important breeding area for
Gavia arctica (10-50 pairs) and
Larus fuscus fuscus (10-50 pairs). The forests hold breeding populations of the nationally scarce
Dendrocopos leucotos. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Haliaeetus albicilla (1-5 individuals, passage).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Boating and landing on small islands is common in summer, which causes disturbance, particularly to
Gavia arctica, gulls and terns. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
National High
International None24,006 ha of the IBA covered by National Park (Linnasaari, 24,006 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Linnansaari (Finland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/linnansaari-iba-finland on 25/12/2024.
