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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 at site	IBA criteria triggered
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	breeding	2004	690 males	B2, C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	winter	1992	12 individuals	C6
Eurasian Green Woodpecker Picus viridis	LC	resident	1993	155 breeding pairs	B2
Woodlark Lullula arborea	LC	breeding	2006	106 males	C6
Dartford Warbler Curruca undata	NT	breeding	2006	728 males	C6
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus	LC	breeding	1993	750 breeding pairs	B2

Note: The current IUCN Red List category may differ from the category that was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment.

For more information about the IBA criteria, please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	wood and pulp plantations (includes afforestation) - agro-industry plantations	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	war, civil unrest and military exercises	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	problematic native species/diseases - unspecified species	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of ground water (agricultural use)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	fire & fire suppression - increase in fire frequency/intensity	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	other ecosystem modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - nutrient loads	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Pollution	domestic & urban waste water - sewage	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium

Condition of the site (state), by species
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Caprimulgus europaeus	European Nightjar	545	690	males	100	favourable
Lullula arborea	Woodlark	65	106	males	100	favourable
Curruca undata	Dartford Warbler	610	728	males	100	favourable

Conservation actions taken at the site (response)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Worgret Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	8	protected area overlaps with site	0
Winfrith Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	289	protected area overlaps with site	0
Warmwell Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	56	protected area overlaps with site	0
Wareham Meadows	Nature Reserve	311	protected area overlaps with site	0
Verwood Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	28	protected area overlaps with site	0
Upton Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	219	protected area overlaps with site	0
Turners Puddle Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	391	protected area overlaps with site	0
Turbary Common	Local Nature Reserve	43	protected area overlaps with site	0
Turbary and Kinson Commons	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	36	protected area overlaps with site	0
Town Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	256	protected area overlaps with site	0
Thrasher's Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	15	protected area overlaps with site	0
The Moors	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	158	protected area overlaps with site	0
Studland and Godlingston Heath	National Nature Reserve	625	protected area overlaps with site	568
Studland & Godlingston Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	758	protected area overlaps with site	759
Studland	Nature Reserve	1,094	protected area overlaps with site	0
Stokeford Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	177	protected area overlaps with site	0
Stoborough Heath	Nature Reserve	129	protected area overlaps with site	0
Stoborough Heath	National Nature Reserve	177	protected area overlaps with site	0
Stoborough & Creech Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	338	protected area overlaps with site	0
Stephens Castle	Local Nature Reserve	19	protected area overlaps with site	0
St Leonards and St Ives Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	530	protected area overlaps with site	0
Slop Bog and Uddens Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	44	protected area overlaps with site	0
Slop Bog	Local Nature Reserve	22	protected area overlaps with site	0
Rempstone Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	170	protected area overlaps with site	0
Purbeck	Heritage Coast	22,699	protected area overlaps with site	2,090
Povington and Grange Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1,218	protected area overlaps with site	1,118
Poole Harbour	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	2,439	protected area overlaps with site	0
Poole Harbour	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	4,158	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Poole Harbour	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Poole Harbour	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2,276	protected area overlaps with site	0
Pine Springs	Local Nature Reserve	8	protected area overlaps with site	0
Parley Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	164	protected area overlaps with site	0
Oakers Bog	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	30	protected area overlaps with site	0
Morden Bog and Hyde Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	660	protected area contained by site	662
Morden Bog	National Nature Reserve	147	protected area overlaps with site	0
Moors River System	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	292	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Middlebere and Hartland	Nature Reserve	317	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lions Hill	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	43	protected area overlaps with site	0
Hurn Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	83	protected area overlaps with site	0
Horton Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	21	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holton Heath	National Nature Reserve	162	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holton and Sandford Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	277	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holt Heath and Forest	Nature Reserve	486	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holt Heath	National Nature Reserve	493	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holt and West Moors Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	767	protected area overlaps with site	686
Hengistbury Head	Local Nature Reserve	156	protected area overlaps with site	0
Hartland Moor	National Nature Reserve	245	protected area overlaps with site	0
Hartland Moor	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	302	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ham Common, Dorset	Local Nature Reserve	25	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ham Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	33	protected area overlaps with site	0
Grange Heath	Nature Reserve	74	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ferndown Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	64	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ebblake Bog	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	11	protected area overlaps with site	0
Dorset Heaths (Purbeck And Wareham) And Studland Dunes	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2,231	protected area contained by site	0
Dorset Heaths	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	5,720	protected area overlaps with site	0
Dorset Heathlands	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	8,185	protected area contained by site	8,098
Dorset Heathlands	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	6,730	protected area overlaps with site	6,730
Dorset	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	113,013	protected area overlaps with site	3,595
Dewlands Common	Local Nature Reserve	12	protected area overlaps with site	0
Cranborne Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	133	protected area overlaps with site	0
Corfe Meadows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	18	protected area overlaps with site	0
Corfe & Barrow Hills	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	102	protected area overlaps with site	0
Corfe & Barrow Hills	Local Nature Reserve	32	protected area overlaps with site	0
Christchurch Harbour	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	352	protected area overlaps with site	0
Canford Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	413	protected area overlaps with site	0
Brownsea Island	Nature Reserve	242	protected area overlaps with site	0
Brenscombe Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	35	protected area overlaps with site	0
Bourne Valley	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	73	protected area overlaps with site	0
Bourne Valley	Local Nature Reserve	37	protected area overlaps with site	0
Blue Pool and Norden Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	113	protected area overlaps with site	0
Black Hill Heath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	71	protected area overlaps with site	0
Avon Valley ( Bickton To Christchurch )	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1,405	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Avon Valley	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1,351	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Avon Valley	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	1,385	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Arne	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	558	protected area overlaps with site	0
Arne	Nature Reserve	583	protected area overlaps with site	0
Alder Hills	Local Nature Reserve	4	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland, Mixed woodland	-
Shrubland	Scrub, Heathland	-
Grassland		-
Wetlands (inland)	Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	-
Marine Intertidal		-

For further information about the IUCN habitat classification, please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dorset Heaths and Forests. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/2456 on 09/06/2023.