Finland has completed a comprehensive update of its Important Bird Areas (IBA) network, reflecting relevant changes in bird distributions, migration patterns, and habitat use. The revised assessment adds nine new IBAs to the network and revises several existing sites, bringing Finland to a total of 91 IBAs.
New wintering visitors
Finland is internationally important for a wide range of waterbirds, particularly seabirds and waders breeding in the Baltic Sea archipelago. Species such as Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne caspia), Common Eider (Somateria mollissima), Black Guillemot (Cepphus grylle), and Ruddy Turnstone (Arenaria interpres) remain key conservation priorities in these coastal environments. Equally significant are the Arctic waders, which breed in the vast open mires of northern Finland, including the Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris falcinellus). Nearly 70% of the European population of this species is estimated to breed in Finland.
In recent years, Finland has also become increasingly important for wintering and staging waterbirds, such as the Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula). At the same time, many arctic geese like the Barnacle Geese (Branta leucopsis), the Taiga Bean Geese (Anser fabalis), and the Pink-footed Geese (Anser brachyrhynchus) now also stage in Finland during spring and autumn migrations. As a result, several previously unrecognised wintering and passage sites have now been designated as new IBAs.
Key species driving the update
The updated IBA network is strongly shaped by changes affecting northern waders, many of which are declining across Europe and are now classified as threatened. Finland is emerging as a critical stronghold for species such as Red-necked Phalarope (Phalaropus lobatus) and Spotted Redshank (Tringa erythropus), whose breeding ranges are retreating northwards as climate pressure intensifies.
Climate change also reshapes the seasonal distribution of waterbirds. Species such as Long-tailed Duck (Clangula hyemalis), Tufted Duck, and Smew (Mergellus albellus) are wintering more often in Finnish waters, while Barnacle Goose (Branta leucopsis) and Tundra Bean Goose (Anser serrirostris) now rely heavily on Finnish sites as primary stopover areas along their migration routes. Finland also became the Barnacle Goose’s (Branta leucopsis) most important staging area during their spring and autumn migration.
Tufted Duck (Aythya fuligula) – picture by Jan Södersved
New habitats recognised
One of the most notable outcomes is the growing importance of Finland as a wintering site for waterfowl, due to the progressively milder winters and the changing ice conditions. For example, the southern coast of the Åland Islands now supports exceptional numbers of wintering Tufted Ducks and has been designated as a new IBA.
Agricultural landscapes in southern Finland have also emerged as key habitats. Changes in migration routes mean that fields and coastal farmlands now support internationally important concentrations of staging geese and other waterbirds. Several staging areas that are increasingly important for the Barnacle Goose have been added to the IBA network for the first time, like Elimäenjärvi, that has testified between 150-300k individuals in passage.
Growing threats and challenges
The update highlights climate change as the biggest threat to Finland’s birdlife. Many species are retreating rapidly northwards. To counter these trends, urgent conservation and restoration efforts are needed, particularly in the southern footholds for Arctic waterbirds.
At the same time, many newly identified IBAs lack formal legal protection. As migration patterns and wintering areas shift, birds increasingly depend on sites that are vulnerable to threats like renewable energy developments that have been planned without sensitivity maps or nature in mind.
Wetland degradation due to eutrophication [1] further threatens the ecological quality of many Finnish IBAs, making active management and restoration essential to keep these ecosystems suitable for target species.
Caspian Tern (Hydroprogne Caspia) – picture by Micha Fager
The role and relevance of IBA Data
Although much of Finland’s IBA network is formally protected, significant gaps remain, especially for wintering and congregation sites along the Baltic coast and in agricultural areas in southern Finland. While the future of Arctic breeding birds depends heavily on global climate policy, Finland can still play a decisive role in safeguarding staging and wintering habitats through national land-use planning, agricultural practices, and better allocation of funding (e.g. CAP).
The updated IBA data are a critical tool for informed decision-making. They provide essential guidance for land management and development planning, particularly in areas that lack legal protection.
A collective effort
The updated IBA assessment is the result of extensive collaboration. BirdLife Finland coordinated the systematic bird count in the IBAs, conducted by staff and volunteers and supported by thousands of records submitted to the Tiira database, which now holds more than 30 million bird observations. But the assessment would not have been possible without the data provided by Metsähallitus Parks and Wildlife Finland, the Finnish Environment Institute, and the Finnish Museum of Natural History. To ensure relevance, only data from the past decade were used.
Tero Toivanen, Conservation Officer at BirdLife Finland, said:
“The bird distributions are ever-changing. While the previous IBA assessments were crucial in establishing the SPA network, keeping the network up to date is needed to identify the current conservation needs and to protect the new hotspots.”
The updated IBA network confirms Finland’s growing responsibility for waterbird conservation in a rapidly changing world and highlights the urgent need for adaptive, forward-looking conservation policies.
Broad-billed Sandpiper (Calidris Falcinellus) – picture by Micha Fager
NOTES
[1] Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes too rich in nutrients, causing excessive algae growth and reducing oxygen, which can harm fish and other aquatic life.