Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster V1
Höfundar / Authors: Aldís Erna Pálsdóttir (1) & Borgný Katrínardóttir (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Náttúrufræðistofnun
Kynnir / Presenter: Aldís Erna Pálsdóttir
Iceland hosts internationally important numbers of breeding waders with large part of the world population of several species nesting in Iceland. The high breeding densities observed in Iceland are likely a product of large open landscapes dominated by short vegetation and relatively low human population density compared to the rest of Europe. However, there is an ever-increasing demand for land for various activities, including summer houses, forestry and, in recent years, the booming tourist industry. These land-use plans often overlap with areas that are rich in waders. Red lists are an important tool to monitor population trends and evaluate extinction risk for animal and plant species. The Icelandic National Red list for birds was recently updated for the third time but the last update was in 2018. A range of surveys across Iceland show a decline in several species in recent years, including European Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria, Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa, Dunlin Calidris alpina and Common Redshank Tringa totanus. The decline is especially steep in the southern lowlands, which is considered the most important area for breeding waders in Iceland, with species declining by ∼2% to 10% annually. This has led to five of the seven most common species of waders in Iceland now being classified as Vulnerable (VU), most of which were previously considered of least concern (LC).