Birds and wetland

Would you have managed a car trip from Oslo to Kautokeino without a single break? Like us humans, birds need pit stops to eat and rest when traveling. Many of the birds fly as far as from Norway to South Africa, and are completely dependent on breaks several times during their journey. Nordre Øyeren nature reserve is part of an international network of wetland areas, and one of many vital pit stops along the way.

International cooperation is important to take care of valuable wetland areas along the birds' migration routes. Nordre Øyeren nature reserve is both a Ramsar and an IBA area. The Wetlands Convention, also known as the Ramsar Convention, is a global agreement to take care of our most important wetlands. The name Ramsar comes from the fact that the convention was established in the Iranian city of Ramsar. Nordre Øyeren nature reserve was designated a Ramsar site in 1985 due to its national and international significance for migratory birds. This Ramsar site today includes the nature reserves Nordre Øyeren and Sørumsneset, as well as

Holmen, Jølsen, Stilla and Brauterstilla along the river Leira. As of May 2021, 2 418 Ramsar sites have been registered in the world, of which 63 are in Norway.

IBA - Important Bird and Biodiversity Area’s main objective is to form a network of significant areas for biodiversity. They are selected according to one or more criteria that meet European or global values. Nordre Øyeren nature reserve meets several of the criteria for being an IBA area as it is of great importance for migratory species such as the pink-footed goose, barnacle goose, eurasian teal and eurasian curlew. The reserve is also important for whooper swans, who spend the winters here. 13 000 IBA areas have been designated around the world, and 133 of these are in Norway.

Every year, thousands of migratory birds land in the Nordre Øyeren nature reserve. The birds find mussels and other invertebrates on and in the mud banks, and a large variety of aquatic plants and fish in the shallow areas of the delta. This makes the wetlands a perfect place for resting migratory birds. Millions of birds spend the winter in Western Europe, Western Africa and all the way down to South Africa, and have their nesting areas in a belt from Eastern Canada, across Northern Europe and to the western parts of Siberia. During the movements between the wintering and nesting area, the birds will use established migration routes along what is called the East Atlantic Flyway. The migration routes are connected to wetlands with access to rest and nutrition. Nordre Øyeren nature reserve is therefore part of a network of important resting places for birds. These wetlands are under increasing pressure from human activities such as development, drainage and cultivation. As much as 64% of the world's wetlands have disappeared since 1900 and as much as 87% since 1700. Conservation of the remaining wetlands is important for the protection of bird populations globally. The map illustration to the right shows the East Atlantic Flyway that many wetland birds use during the spring and autumn migration. Some wetlands have been highlighted to show the variety of areas, and the importance of them during the migration. The arrows show some of the migration routes the birds choose during the migration.