Identifying important bird habitats in a sub-arctic area undergoing rapid land-use change

Capsule Habitats in lowland South Iceland sustain bird populations of international importance, with highest densities in wet habitats. Aims In areas important for biodiversity there is an urgent need to assess large-scale variation in the biodiversity value of habitats to inform management. We carried out a large-scale survey to assess the conservation value of sub-arctic, Icelandic bird habitats. Methods Bird counts were carried out on 200 transects in the five most common vegetated habitat types in South Iceland. Based on these counts, breeding bird density and diversity were compared between habitats and total population sizes of common species in these habitats were calculated. Results Overall, eight species (seven waders and Meadow Pipit) composed over 95% of all birds counted. The combined density of those species exceeded 275 birds/km(2) in all habitats. The two wettest habitat types had the highest density of birds. Conclusion Wet habitats in lowland South Iceland held particularly high densities of breeding birds, notably waders, which constitute populations of international importance. Wet habitat types are generally of higher value for more species, than dryer ones.