The Site consists of the island of Tautra and a shallow strait between Tautra and the neighbouring mainland, together with the surrounding shallow intertidal marine waters. These waters and their mud- and sandflats are particularly important as a staging area in spring and autumn for a large number of bird species, including the globally vulnerable velvet scoter Melanitta fusca and long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis. The birdlife also stops over on the island’s freshwater lakes. The island itself is dominated by farms, houses, roads and some woodland areas with pine and spruce forests and juniper shrubs. The traditionally managed cultural landscape, shaped over hundreds of years, contains a high diversity of specialized plant species.