Ferjubakkaflói-Nordurá (505)
Iceland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Ferjubakkaflói-Norðurá
Central coordinates: Latitude: 64.6000, Longitude: -21.6667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 6 to 8
Area of KBA (km2): 176.89904
Protected area coverage (%): 16.33
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: River flood-plains, c.14 km north-east of the town of Borgarnes, with pools, marshes and peatbogs. The area extends over Ferjubakkaflóia, Hóp, the lower parts of Gljúfurá and Nordurá, and Ystatunga south of Sólheimatunga. Land-uses include hunting, recreation, grazing and haymaking in some places, and there are some summer cottages.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: Important for staging waterbirds.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Hunting and recreation cause some disturbance to birds, and summer cottages also pose a threat. The area is on the list of sites of conservation interest in the Nature Conservation Register.