Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A diverse, fertile, open valley surrounded by large areas of woodland situated around the settlement of Värtsilä. The area includes two small, shallow, eutrophic lakes, Sääperi and Uudenkylänlampi, surrounded by farmland, mostly cereals, and also by wild meadows. The Jänisjoki river flows across the area, into Lake Ladoga in Russia.
One of the few known regular breeding sites in Finland for
Emberiza aureola (3-7 pairs).
Tringa stagnatilis has bred twice during the 1985-1995 period. Also a nationally important spring staging area for
Anser fabalis (400-600 birds),
Tringa erythropus (100-500 birds),
T. nebularia (100-500 birds) and
Calcarius lapponicus (1,000-5,000 birds). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Circus macrourus (max. 3 birds, passage),
Aquila clanga (max. 1 bird, passage),
Gallinago media (1-5 birds, passage).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
A few hundred people live in the valley and impact on the area. Disturbance is greatest in autumn when wildfowling starts. There have been attempts to manage the scrub on the shores of Sääperi lake specifically for improving the breeding habitat for
Emberiza aureola,
but without success. Overgrowth of the wetland is a threat. A birdwatching tower is situated on the shore of Sääperi lake. Part of the area is a candidate SAC.
National None
International Partial498 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Värtsilän laakson luontokokonaisuus).
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.
