Birds of Khibiny National Park
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- Species
- ≈ 29 species Source, Species: Community observations: eBird and GBIF
- Best time
- July Source, Best time: Months with the most species, across all years of observations
- ≈ 29 species Source, Species: Community observations: eBird and GBIF
- July Source, Best time: Months with the most species, across all years of observations
- 2018 Source, Founded: From Wikidata
Birds year-round
All birds
All year
About the park
The Khibiny massif is roughly circular and about 40 kilometres across, with Lake Imandra on its western side and Lake Umbozero to the east. Within the park, elevations range from 130 to 1,196 metres, rising above the low plains that surround the mountains. The park lies at the northern edge of the Scandinavian and Russian taiga ecoregion; the Kola Peninsula tundra ecoregion begins only a few kilometres farther north. Grassland covers 62 per cent of the park, forest 27 per cent and bare rock 8 per cent, while shrubs and water together account for the remaining 3 per cent. Changes in elevation and the meeting of Arctic and taiga flora contribute to the varied landscape.
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In 1917, geographer Veniamin Semyonov-Tyan-Shansky argued that a nature reserve in the Khibiny should be a top priority. Mining made protection difficult: the mountains contain minerals of industrial importance. Over a decade of planning, the proposal was revised repeatedly and the proposed protected area was reduced to a third of its original size. The decree establishing the national park was signed on 19 February 2018. Today, its western and eastern sections are roughly equal in area, while the valley corridor between them is outside the protected territory. The boundaries reflect the effort to accommodate nature conservation, recreation and mineral extraction.
The park is home to 123 bird species. Birds recorded nearby include the goldcrest, tree pipit and redwing.
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