Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A 10-km long fjord in the south-eastern part of the Trondheimsfjord, 20-25 km east of Trondheim. At the outlet of the Stjørdalselva river there are meadows, intertidal flats of sand and mud, and shallow subtidal habitat. Further out, on the northern side of the site, there are fewer mudflats. The sea here is still quite shallow: as far as 1-2 km offshore it is not more than 10-20 m deep.
This is a notable staging area for congregatory seabirds and waterbirds, especially in spring˜for example, in April there are 20,000-30,000 seabirds present. Birds are partly attracted by herring roe, which may be washed ashore in layers up to 0.5 m thick during storms and rough seas (the area is important for spawning herring
Clupea harengus in spring).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The entanglement and drowning of seabirds in fishing nets is a major problem, especially in spring. Land-claim for industrial development and roads has destroyed mudflats in the inner parts of the fjord. Further road-building is planned, but no final decisions in this respect have yet been made.
National None
International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Stjørdalsfjord (Norway). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/stjørdalsfjord-iba-norway on 23/11/2024.
