Hvalfjardareyri-Laxárvogur (502)
Iceland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2015
National site name: Hvalfjarðareyri-Laxárvogur
Central coordinates: Latitude: 64.3167, Longitude: -21.6667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 6.03133
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large embayment of Hvalfjördur, including a bay and estuarine flats from Hvalfjardareyri to Búdarsandur. There are mussel banks (Mytilus) offshore.
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: Also notable in winter are Somateria mollissima (c.2,000) and Haematopus ostralegus (c.500, which is 10% or more of the national total in winter).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | 30 | |
| Marine Neritic | 70 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register.