Location: The site is located in the Leningrad Region, 60 km northeast of the city of Volkhov and 15 km west of the town of Lodeinoye Pole.

The Svir Delta provides important habitats for many threatened species of birds. Many bird species (44), entered in the Russian Red Data Book (RRB) and the Red Data Book of the Baltic Region, occur at the site. The site is an extremely important staging and feeding area for geese, migrating from their breeding areas in the European North of Russia to their wintering places in Europe. The total number of geese migrating through the delta in spring is between 100,000 and 150,000. Diving ducks are very numerous. Between 400,000 and 600,000 birds pass through the area in spring, and about one third of these stay for a longer time in the wetlands. A total of 11 species have been registered, the most numerous are Aythya fuligula (up to 100,000), A. marila (150,000) and Melanitta nigra (200,000). Approximately 10,000-15,000 Gavia arctica,, 3,000-5,000 Cygnus cygnus and 500-1,000 C. columbianus bewickii occur during migrations in spring.

The site encompasses the delta of the Svir River. The deltaic complex includes numerous channels and streams, bogs, lakes, wet meadows and polders, and shallow waters of Svir Bay with sand beaches and reed beds.

Biological/Ecological notes: The belt of Phragmites communis reeds reaches 200 m in the northern part of the site. The southern shore is low and marshy. Sand beaches 50 m wide are characteristic of the central part of the site. Terrestrial habitats are represented by bogs, fens and transitional mires. The vegetation is represented by spruce, pine and various mixed forests. Salix sp willows. and speckled alder Alnus incana are widespread. Diverse herbs and grasses are found in the floodplain meadows.

Hydrological/Physical notes: The site is located in the Svir depression, on the edge of the Baltic shield, and includes a shallow water area of Lake Ladoga. The sedimentary layer is 300 m deep. The marine boulder loams are underlain by Pleistocene lacustrine clayey sediments, under which Cambrian sands and clays are found. Landforms are characterised by dunes which extend along the shore in parallel ridges. The climate is temperate-continental. Cyclones from the Atlantic have a pronounced effect on the weather. The mean air temperatures are -10°C in January and 17°C in July. The growing period for vegetation is 160-164 days. Annual precipitation varies from 623 to 637 mm. Snow cover is about 60 cm deep and persists for 133-157 days. Lake Ladoga has an area of 1,813,500 ha; its average depth is 51 m, with a maximum of 230 m. Annual variations in the level of water can reach 3 m, with an average of 0.8 m. Heavy storms associated with western winds are frequent in October and November. The Bay of Svir is the warmest portion of Lake Ladoga. Mean water temperature is between 20° and 25°C in late July- early August. The freezing of water in the bay occurs in early December, and the ice cover is 50-60 cm deep. The site also includes Lake Segezh, which has an area of 1,800 ha and a depth of 4-6 m. The shores of the lake are covered by peatlands. The soils are podzolic, highbog and fen peats.

Human Uses: Activities at the site include agriculture, cattle breeding, hay-making, fisheries and waterfowl shooting. The Svir, Pasha and Oyat rivers and the channels of Novoladozhsky and Staroladozhsky are used as transport arteries. There are a few small woodworking factories in the villages of Sviritsa, Pasha and Domozhirovo. The Nizhni-Svirsky Nature Reserve carries out research and monitoring studies of natural ecosystems.

Conservation Measures: The site includes the 41,615 ha Nizhni-Svirsky Nature Reserve ('zapovednik'), established in 1980, and part of the area of the Zagubye Wildlife Refuge (local 'zakaznik'). The rest of the area is unprotected. A number of restrictions and prohibitions have been recommended for the unprotected portion of the site. Banned activities would include waterfowl shooting, trapping of fur bearing animals in winter, commercial fishing, use of motor boats during the waterfowl migration and breeding seasons, visiting the islands of the delta during the 1 May-15 July period, burning of reeds, house construction, disposal of wastes, forest cutting (except maintenance fellings), drainage, mining, and all other projects which would alter the landscape. Other recommendations are to increase the staff of the Zagubye Wildlife Refuge by two rangers, to extend their authority to the adjacent Domozhirovsky fields and to strengthen the protection regime during the waterbird breeding and migration periods.

Adverse Factors: no information available.

Most recent Ramsar Information Sheet/datasheet: 1997; Please see Introduction for more details.