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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
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	LC	resident	1996	500-2,000 breeding pairs	C2
Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix	LC	resident	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	breeding	1996	11-50 breeding pairs	C2
Smew Mergellus albellus	LC	breeding	1996	10-30 breeding pairs	A3, B2, C2
Common Crane Grus grus	LC	breeding	1996	20-50 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	breeding	1996	1,000-5,000 breeding pairs	B1i, B3, C2, C6
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	LC	breeding	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	C2
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	LC	breeding	1996	500-2,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	breeding	1996	11-50 breeding pairs	A3
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	breeding	1996	300-1,000 breeding pairs	B3, C6
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	VU	breeding	1996	300-1,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii	LC	breeding	1996	100-300 breeding pairs	A3
Jack Snipe Lymnocryptes minimus	LC	breeding	1996	100-300 breeding pairs	A3, A4i, B1i, C3
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	breeding	1996	51-100 breeding pairs	A3
Spotted Redshank Tringa erythropus	LC	breeding	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	A3
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia	LC	breeding	1996	200-500 breeding pairs	A3
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	LC	breeding	1996	2,000-5,000 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Northern Hawk-owl Surnia ulula	LC	breeding	1996	100-500 breeding pairs	A3, C6
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	breeding	1996	50-200 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Great Grey Owl Strix nebulosa	LC	breeding	1996	11-50 breeding pairs	A3, C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	breeding	1996	11-50 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Rough-legged Buzzard Buteo lagopus	LC	breeding	1996	100-300 breeding pairs	A3
Three-toed Woodpecker Picoides tridactylus	LC	resident	1996	500-2,000 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus	LC	resident	1996	500-2,000 breeding pairs	A3, B2
Siberian Tit Poecile cinctus	LC	resident	1996	2,000-5,000 breeding pairs	A3
Arctic Warbler Phylloscopus borealis	LC	breeding	1996	10-30 breeding pairs	A3
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata	LC	breeding	1996	1,000-3,000 breeding pairs	B2
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus	LC	breeding	1996	3,000-10,000 breeding pairs	B2
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus	LC	breeding	1996	30-100 breeding pairs	A3
Red-throated Pipit Anthus cervinus	LC	breeding	1996	30-100 breeding pairs	A3
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	LC	breeding	1996	10,000 breeding pairs	B3
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla	LC	breeding	1996	20,000 breeding pairs	A3
Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator	LC	breeding	1996	400-1,200 breeding pairs	A3
Parrot Crossbill Loxia pytyopsittacus	LC	breeding	1996	200-1,000 breeding pairs	A3, B3
Two-barred Crossbill Loxia leucoptera	LC	breeding	1996	50-5,000 breeding pairs	A3
Snow Bunting Plectrophenax nivalis	LC	breeding	1996	100-300 breeding pairs	A3
Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica	VU	breeding	1996	500-1,500 breeding pairs	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1996	5,000-16,700 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4

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
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	2,500	2,500	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	11	30	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Common Crane Grus grus	200	200	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	2,000	2,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	650	650	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	275	275	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	10	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Ruff Calidris pugnax	550	550	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Broad-billed Sandpiper Calidris falcinellus	1,600	1,600	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Temminck's Stint Calidris temminckii	100	5	breeding pairs	5	very unfavourable
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	60	60	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia	325	325	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	7,000	7,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Picoides tridactylus	600	850	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Siberian Jay Perisoreus infaustus	5,000	5,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Siberian Tit Poecile cinctus	4,000	4,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata	6,800	6,800	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Common Redstart Phoenicurus phoenicurus	18,000	18,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Bohemian Waxwing Bombycilla garrulus	750	750	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Meadow Pipit Anthus pratensis	15,000	17,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Brambling Fringilla montifringilla	50,000	50,000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Pine Grosbeak Pinicola enucleator	1,200	1,600	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Rustic Bunting Emberiza rustica	500	450	breeding pairs	90	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	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
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1956	Sompion luonnonpuisto	Luonnonpuisto	6
1983	Urho Kekkosen kansallispuisto	Kansallispuisto	82
1988	Vaaranaavan soidensuojelualue	Soidensuojelualue	1
1988	Uura-aavan soidensuojelualue	Soidensuojelualue	1
1988	Nalka-aavan soidensuojelualue	Soidensuojelualue	<1
1991	Kemihaaran erämaa	Erämaa-alue	10
1996	Uk-Puisto-Sompio-Kemihaara	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	100
1998	Uk-Puisto-Sompio-Kemihaara	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2007	Mutenian luonnonsuojelualue	Yksityinen luonnonsuojelualue	<1
2017	Marjavaaran luonnonsuojelualue	State Nature Reserve	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest		60
Wetlands (inland)	Raised bogs	30

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
other	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Saariselkä and Koilliskaira (Finland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/saariselkä-and-koilliskaira-iba-finland on 22/11/2024.