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• Text account
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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2007

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage	2001-2006	91 individuals	B2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	2001-2006	255 individuals	B2, C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	1990	4 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	20,543 individuals	A4iii, C4

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - dams (size unknown)	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	other ecosystem modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - nutrient loads	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Recurvirostra avosetta	Pied Avocet	83	255	individuals	100	favourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Sutton Hoo	Nature Reserve	98	protected area overlaps with site	0
Suffolk Coast and Heaths	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	40,510	protected area contains site	977
Suffolk Coast	Heritage Coast	0	protected area overlaps with site	388
Suffolk	Heritage Coast	20,697	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ramsholt Cliff	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2	protected area contained by site	0
Ferry Cliff, Sutton	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3	protected area overlaps with site	0
Deben Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	981	protected area overlaps with site	977
Deben Estuary	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	979	protected area overlaps with site	977
Deben Estuary	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	981	is identical to site	977
Deben Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Marine Intertidal		-
Shrubland	Scrub	-
Marine Neritic		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Deben Estuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 28/03/2023.