• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding	1996	10-25 breeding pairs	A1, B2, C1, C6
Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus	LC	breeding	1991	40 breeding pairs	B2

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
Corncrake Crex crex	20	20	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus	40	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	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
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site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1996	Värtsilän laakson luontokokonaisuus	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	25
1998	Värtsilän laakso (SPA)	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	62
1998	UUDENKYLÄNLAMMEN LUONNONSUOJELUALUE	Yksityinen luonnonsuojelualue	<1
2006	Sääperin luonnonsuojelualue 2	Yksityinen luonnonsuojelualue	11
2006	Sääperin ja Uudenkylänlammen luonnonsuojelualue	Yksityinen luonnonsuojelualue	6
2006	Sääperin luonnonsuojelualue 1	Yksityinen luonnonsuojelualue	5

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial		55
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater	40
Forest	Mixed woodland	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	40
agriculture	30
unknown	25

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Värtsilä valley (Finland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/värtsilä-valley-iba-finland on 22/11/2024.