UK274
Carlingford Lough


Country/territory: United Kingdom

IBA criteria met: B1i, B2, C2, C3, C6 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 1,349 ha

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
IBA conservation status
Year of assessment (most recent) State (condition) Pressure (threat) Response (action)
2007 unfavourable medium low
For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here


Site description (2007 baseline)
A narrow sea lough with significant expanses of mudflat and saltmarsh, and several small rock and shingle islands. Mountains surround the lough. This is a cross-border site, the southern shore lying in County Louth in the Republic of Ireland (IBA 122). The stated area of 4,660 ha covers the entire site on both sides of the border, but other data given here (habitats, land-use, threats and birds) are specific to the UK side. The IBA is important for breeding terns and wintering waterbirds. Branta bernicla are from the Canadian/Greenland breeding population of the hrota subspecies.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Carlingford Lough. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/carlingford-lough-iba-united-kingdom on 19/03/2024.