Important Bird Areas in Europe – Poland ■ POLAND MACIEJ GROMADZKI AND MARIA WIELOCH Bia³owie¿a forest (IBA 031). (PHOTO: PAWE£ OLAF SID£O) GENERAL INTRODUCTION from 1989 that still meet current IBA criteria are largely unchanged in extent, although the numbering system and many of the site Poland covers about 312,700 km2 within the temperate forest zone names have been altered. of Europe. It is a low-lying country, with only 9% of its land surface above 300 m, although mountain ranges in the south (dominated by the Western Carpathians) rise up to a maximum of 2,499 m. ORNITHOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE Poland has a population of 38,612,000 (1996 estimate), with a moderate overall population density of 124 people per km2, the A total of 128 species of European conservation concern (SPEC) highest densities being in the southern upland areas and the lowest breed regularly in Poland (Tucker and Heath 1994). In addition, in the north-west and north-east. 24 SPECs do not breed but are regular visitors to the country on A total of 77 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) are currently passage or in winter. recognised in Poland, covering 19,867 km2 or equivalent to about Six species of global conservation concern breed in Poland 6.4% of the land surface (Table 1). The IBAs are distributed more (Table 2)—Aythya nyroca, Haliaeetus albicilla, Aquila clanga, Crex or less evenly over the whole country, but with a preponderance in crex, Gallinago media and Acrocephalus paludicola. The most the east and north. The previous pan-European IBA inventory important site for Aythya nyroca is the Barycz river valley (site 054), (Grimmett and Jones 1989) listed 126 sites for Poland—thus, a where 20–30% of the national population breed. All of the breeding relatively large number of these have since lost their IBA status Aquila clanga in Poland nest in the Biebrza river valley (site 025), (see Table 1), especially since 19 of the current 77 sites are as do most of the national population of Acrocephalus paludicola completely new IBAs. This is mainly because the IBA criteria have (Table 2). The number of breeding Crex crex in Poland, currently been revised since 1989—only a few of the 1989 sites have lost their estimated at about 30,000 calling males (1997 survey), represents a IBA status because of actual changes in bird numbers at the site. major proportion of the European total, and this species played a Apart from amalgamations of previous IBAs (thirteen now form very important role in identifying IBAs during previous inventories part of current sites 025, 054, 061 and 073), most of the other 54 sites (Grimmett and Jones 1989; Gromadzki et al. 1994). Table 1. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Poland 77 IBAs covering 19,867 km2 IBA National 1989 code code 1 code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 001 001 PL001 Delta of the Œwina river Delta Œwiny zachodnio-pomorskie 4,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 002 002 PL005 Szczecin lagoon Zalew Szczecinski zachodnio-pomorskie 48,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 003 004 PL007 Rozwarowo marshes Bagna Rozwarowskie zachodnio-pomorskie 1,600 A1 004 008 PL009 Œwidwie lake Jezioro Œwidwie zachodnio-pomorskie 900 A4i, B1i 005 010 PL011 We³tyñ lakes Jeziora We³tyñskie zachodnio-pomorskie 4,600 B3 006 009 PL010 Lower Odra river valley Dolina Dolnej Odry zachodnio-pomorskie, lubuskie 75,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B1iv, B2, B3 007 011 PL012 Miedwie lake Jezioro Miedwie zachodnio-pomorskie 3,200 A4i, B1i 543 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Poland Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Poland 77 IBAs covering 19,867 km2 IBA National 1989 code code 1 code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 008 021 PL013 Iñsk Landscape Park Iñski Park Krajobrazowy zachodnio-pomorskie 17,763 A1, B3 009 013 PL019 S³owiñski National Park S³owiñski Park Narodowy pomorskie 18,247 A4i, B1i 010 023 PL018 S³upia Valley Landscape Park Park Krajobrazowy Dolina S³upi pomorskie 37,040 A1 011 025 — Middle part of Tuchola forest Wielki Sandr Brdy pomorskie 38,815 B1i, B2, B3 012 015, 016 PL022 Puck Bay Zatoka Pucka pomorskie 56,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i 013 017 PL023 Wis³a river mouth Ujscie Wis³y pomorskie 485 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 014 018 PL024 Wis³a lagoon Zalew Wiœlany pomorskie, warmiñsko-mazurskie 33,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i 015 019 PL025 Dru¿no lake Jezioro Dru¿no warmiñsko-mazurskie 3,021 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 016 027 PL026 I³awa forests Lasy I³awskie warmiñsko-mazurskie 25,279 A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3 017 047 PL109 Dymerskie meadows £¹ki Dymerskie warmiñsko-mazurskie 300 A4i, B1i 018 045 PL111 Napiwodzko-Ramucka forest Puszcza Napiwodzko-Ramucka warmiñsko-mazurskie 65,000 A1, B1i, B2, B3 019 020 PL104 Oœwin lake Jezioro Oœwin warmiñsko-mazurskie 2,500 B3 020 050 PL103 Borecka forest Puszcza Borecka warmiñsko-mazurskie 22,000 B2, B3 021 048 PL108 £uknajno lake Jezioro £uknajno warmiñsko-mazurskie 710 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 022 051 PL106 Nietlickie marshes Bagna Nietlickie warmiñsko-mazurskie 1,200 A1, A4i, B1i, B1iv, B2, B3 023 — — Pisz forest Puszcza Piska warmiñsko-mazurskie, podlaskie 163,000 A1, B2 024 053 — Augustów forest Puszcza Augustowska podlaskie 102,000 B2, B3 025 083 PL100– Biebrza river valley Dolina Biebrzy podlaskie 126,047 A1, A4i, B1i, B2, B3 PL102 026 084 — Narew river gaps Prze³omowa Dolina Narwi podlaskie 4,200 A1, B2 027 085 PL098 Marshy valley of the Narew river Bagienna Dolina Narwi podlaskie 9,332 A1, B2, B3 028 086 PL099 Knyszyñ forest Puszcza Knyszyñska podlaskie 110,000 B2, B3 029 087 — Gródek—Micha³owo basin Niecka Gródecko—Micha³owska podlaskie 4,700 A1, B2 030 088 — Upper Narew river valley Dolina Górnej Narwi podlaskie 8,400 A1, B2, B3 031 089 PL097 Bia³owie¿a forest Puszcza Bia³owieska podlaskie 62,500 A1, B2, B3 032 030 PL039 Warta flood-plain—S³oñsk Rozlewiska Warty—S³oñsk lubuskie 4,244 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 033 031 PL035 Noteæ river flood-plain Nadnoteckie £êgi wielkopolskie 10,000 A1 034 040 PL033 Obra river flood-plain Wielki £êg Obrzañski wielkopolskie 16,000 B2 035 041 PL045 Wonieœæ reservoir Zbiornik Wonieœæ wielkopolskie 900 B2 036 066 PL031 Middle Warta river valley Dolina Warty Œrodkowej wielkopolskie 32,000 A1, A4iii, B2, B3 037 032 — Ostrówek and Smogulec ponds Stawy Ostrówek i Smogulec kujawsko-pomorskie, 1,000 B1i wielkopolskie 038 033 — Œlesin and Wystêp ponds Stawy Œlesin i Wystêp kujawsko-pomorskie 3,200 A4i, B1i 039 — — Lower Wis³a river Dolina Dolnej Wis³y pomorskie, kujawsko-pomorskie 32,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 040 029 — Marshy valley of the Drwêca river Bagienna Dolina Drwêcy kujawsko-pomorskie 3,400 B1i 041 042 PL034 Gop³o Millennium Park Nadgoplañski Park Tysi¹clecia kujawsko-pomorskie, 12,700 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 wielkopolskie 042 044 PL028 Rakutowskie swamps Blota Rakutowskie kujawsko-pomorskie 800 A4iii, B1i 043 — PL029 Ner river valley Dolina Neru wielkopolskie, ³ódzkie 4,800 A1 044 067 — Jeziorsko reservoir Zbiornik Jeziorsko wielkopolskie, ³ódzkie 4,300 A4i, B1i 045 060 PL122 Kampinos forest Puszcza Kampinoska mazowieckie 35,700 A1, B2, B3 046 061 PL086 Middle Wis³a river valley Dolina Œrodkowej Wis³y lubelskie, mazowieckie 19,000 A1, A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 047 058 PL120 Zegrzyñski reservoir Zalew Zegrzyñski mazowieckie 12,000 A4iii, B1i 048 — PL114 Omulew river valley Dolina Omulwi mazowieckie 6,000 A1, B2 049 059 PL121 Bia³a forest Puszcza Bia³a mazowieckie 120,000 A1, B2 050 063 PL094 Liwiec river valley Dolina Liwca mazowieckie 11,800 A1, B2 051 065 PL095 Lower Bug river valley Dolina Dolnego Bugu lubelskie, mazowieckie, podlaskie 55,000 A1, B2 052 055 PL044 Przemków ponds Stawy Przemkowskie dolnoœl¹skie 1,046 A4iii, B2 053 078 PL046 Odra riverine forests £êgi Odrzañskie dolnoœl¹skie 18,000 A1, B2, B3 054 072–077 PL047– Barycz river valley Dolina Baryczy wielkopolskie, dolnoœl¹skie 25,700 A1, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3 PL052 055 ——S³up reservoir Zbiornik S³up dolnoœl¹skie 500 A4i, B1i 056 — — Mietków reservoir Zbiornik Mietkowski dolnoœl¹skie 920 A4i, B1i 057 079 PL053 Oak-hornbeam forests Gr¹dy Odrzanskie opolskie, dolnoœl¹skie 31,000 B2, B3 in the Odra valley 058 080 PL057 Turawa reservoir Jezioro Turawskie opolskie 2,200 A4iii 059 101 PL054 Otmuchów reservoir Jezioro Otmuchowskie opolskie 2,300 A4i, A4iii, B1i 060 102 PL055 Nysa reservoir Jezioro Nyskie (Glêbinowskie) opolskie 3,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i 061 108, 109 PL060, Upper Wis³a river valley Dolina Górnej Wis³y œlaskie, malopolskie 130,000 A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2 PL061 062 — — Middle Nida flood-plain Rozlewiska Œrodkowej Nidy œwiêtokrzyskie 2,000 A1 063 105 PL085 Ma³opolska Wis³a river gap Ma³opolski Prze³om Wis³y lubelskie, mazowieckie, 1,300 B2 œwiêtokrzyskie 064 092 PL090 Tyœmienica river valley Dolina Tyœmienicy lubelskie 14,500 A1, B2, B3 065 093 PL084 Parczew forests Lasy Parczewskie lubelskie 8,000 A1, B2 544 Important Bird Areas in Europe – Poland Table 1 ... continued. Summary of Important Bird Areas in Poland 77 IBAs covering 19,867 km2 IBA National 1989 code code 1 code International name National name Administrative region Area (ha) Criteria (see p. 11) 066 097 PL082 Bubnów marshes Bagno Bubnów lubelskie 2,104 A1, B2 067 100 — Middle Bug river valley Dolina Œrodkowego Bugu lubelskie 5,100 A1, B2, B3 068 098 PL081 Che³m calcareous marshes Che³mskie Torfowiska Wêglanowe lubelskie 1,700 A1, B2, B3 069 099 — Strzeleckie forests Lasy Strzeleckie lubelskie 8,500 B2, B3 070 110 — Niepo³omice forest Puszcza Niepo³omicka ma³opolskie 11,000 B3 071 116 PL067 Gorce mountains Gorce ma³opolskie 7,030 B2, B3 072 115 PL065 Tatra mountains Tatry ma³opolskie 21,164 A3, B2, B3 073 111 PL073, Janów forests Lasy Janowskie podkarpackie, lubelskie 50,000 B2 PL074 074 — — Solska Forest Landscape Park Park Krajobrazowy Puszczy Solskiej podkarpackie, lubelskie 28,980 B2 075 — — Przemyœl Plateau Landscape Park Park Krajobrazowy Pogórza podkarpackie 62,000 A1, B2, B3 Przemyskiego 076 112 PL080 Starzawa ponds Stawy Starzawskie podkarpackie 950 A4iii, B2 077 118 PL077 Bieszczady mountains Bieszczady podkarpackie 114,000 A1, B2, B3 1.