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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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	winter	2000-2005	18,480 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2000	58 breeding pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2006	22 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	524 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2006	814 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6

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
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Anser brachyrhynchus	Pink-footed Goose	17900	18480	individuals	100	favourable
Sternula albifrons	Little Tern	58	22	breeding pairs	38	very unfavourable
Thalasseus sandvicensis	Sandwich Tern	1120	814	breeding pairs	73	near favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	26709	18480	individuals	70	near favourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Ythan Estuary; Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1,015	is identical to site	1,012
Ythan Estuary & Meikle Loch	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	314	protected area overlaps with site	314
Sands of Forvie and Ythan Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	993	protected area overlaps with site	976
Sands Of Forvie	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	735	protected area contained by site	735
Meikle Loch and Kippet Hills	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	73	protected area overlaps with site	0
Meikle Loch	Nature Reserve	29	protected area overlaps with site	0
Forvie	National Nature Reserve	990	protected area overlaps with site	973
Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	5,401	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Buchan Ness to Collieston Coast	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area is adjacent to site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters, Mud flats and sand flats, Salt marshes, Sand dunes and beaches, Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
fisheries/aquaculture	-
nature conservation and research	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Ythan Estuary, Sands of Forvie and Meikle Loch. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/01/2022.