Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large complex of raised bogs and extensive forests (including wet alluvial forests) in central Estonia, with fens, transition mires, and unregulated rivers with flood-plain and wooded meadows. The main land-uses are forestry, tourism, small-scale agriculture and berry-picking.
The mires and forests are important for several breeding species and an important staging area for migrating
Cygnus columbianus and
Grus grus.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Major threats are posed by forestry, drainage, unsustainable hunting, tourism, and the overgrowth of flood-plain meadows by shrubs (haymaking is required to maintain habitat suitable for key bird species). The management plan for Soomaa National Park will be ready in 2000. Research involves monitoring of birds and mire plants.
National High
International High36,890 ha of IBA covered by National Park (Soomaa, 37,121 ha). 36,890 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Soomaa National Park, 37,121 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Soomaa (Estonia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/soomaa-iba-estonia on 23/11/2024.
