Stokkseyri-Eyrarbakki (494)
Iceland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Stokkseyri-Eyrarbakki
Central coordinates: Latitude: 63.8667, Longitude: -21.1167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 29.53294
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A coastal wetland in southern Iceland, by the villages of Stokkseyri and Eyrabakki, which extends from the river outlet of ölfusá to Loftsstadir farm. Habitats comprise fresh water, brackish pools, saltmarshes and an adjacent extensive area of beaches and intertidal flats. The shoreline is mainly rocky. Land-use also includes tourism, e.g. kayaking along the coast, lakes and rivers.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Additional biodiversity: Thousands of breeding, staging and wintering waterbirds use the area, particularly the coast. In particular, the shore from the mouth of the ölfusá river to Loftsstadir farm is one of the most important for waterbirds in Iceland. A wide variety of waterbirds breed, including Sterna paradisaea (1,000-2,000 pairs). Staging birds in May 1990 included Calidris alpina (2,000) and Arenaria interpres (200).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 25 | |
| Grassland | 10 | |
| Marine Neritic | 40 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 25 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The introduced American mink Mustela vison is a threat, and tourism causes disturbance to birds. Part of the area may be threatened by urban development. The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register.