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The site was identified as important in 2000 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter	1997	745-4,110 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	passage	1997	2,000 individuals	B1i, C3
White Stork Ciconia ciconia	LC	breeding	1997	10 breeding pairs	C6
Common Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus	LC	breeding	1991	5-10 breeding pairs	C6
Black-crowned Night-heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	1997	52 breeding pairs	C6
Purple Heron Ardea purpurea	LC	breeding	1997	159 breeding pairs	B2, C2, C6
Little Egret Egretta garzetta	LC	breeding	1997	142 breeding pairs	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	1997	2,075-7,973 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage	1997	1,000-1,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Black-winged Stilt Himantopus himantopus	LC	breeding	1995	65-68 breeding pairs	C6
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	LC	winter	1997	983-1,975 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	LC	passage	1997	3,400-4,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus	LC	passage	1991	9,000-17,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	passage	1997	350-1,500 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	passage	1997	40,000-80,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter	1997	810-10,360 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	passage	1997	20,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	LC	passage	1997	20,000 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage	1997	500-2,000 individuals	B1i, C3
Little Gull Hydrocoloeus minutus	LC	passage	1991	1,500-2,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Black Tern Chlidonias niger	LC	breeding	1996	20-30 breeding pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding	1997	10-100 breeding pairs	C6
Montagu's Harrier Circus pygargus	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B3, C6
Black Kite Milvus migrans	LC	breeding	1991	10-100 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Kingfisher Alcedo atthis	LC	breeding	1991	10-50 breeding pairs	C6
Bluethroat Luscinia svecica	LC	breeding	1991	300 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	1997	100,000-499,999 individuals	A4iii, C4

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2000).

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Venise verte	Arrêté de protection de biotope	2,600	protected area overlaps with site	0
Tourbières de Prin-Deyrançon	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	151	protected area overlaps with site	0
Tourbière du Bourdet	Arrêté de protection de biotope	22	protected area overlaps with site	0
Terrées du Pain Béni et prairies attenantes	Arrêté de protection de biotope	19	protected area overlaps with site	0
Prairies calcaires du Fief-Bodin	Arrêté de protection de biotope	8	protected area overlaps with site	0
Pointe de l'Aiguillon	Arrêté de protection de biotope	37	protected area contained by site	0
Pointe d'Arçay	Réserve biologique	212	protected area contained by site	850
Pointe D'Arcay	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	380	protected area contained by site	0
Plaine de Niort Nord-Ouest	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	17,040	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Plaine calcaire du sud Vendée	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6,701	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Pertuis charentais - Rochebonne	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	819,258	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Pertuis charentais - Rochebonne	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	817,900	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Pertuis Charentais	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	456,027	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Pertuis charentais	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	456,000	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Marais Poitevin (secteur Ouest)	Arrêté de protection de biotope	3,800	protected area overlaps with site	0
MARAIS POITEVIN - ESTUAIRE SEVRE NIORTAISE	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	36	protected area contained by site	0
Marais Poitevin	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	47,745	protected area overlaps with site	40,860
Marais poitevin	Parc naturel régional	198,189	protected area overlaps with site	0
MARAIS POITEVIN	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	220	protected area contained by site	0
Marais poitevin	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	68,023	protected area overlaps with site	56,519
Marais Poitevin	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	20,323	protected area overlaps with site	15,662
Marais du Passage de La Ronde	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	401	protected area overlaps with site	0
MARAIS DES MAGNILS REIGNIERS	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	119	protected area contained by site	0
Marais de Saint-Hilaire-la-Palud Arçais	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	1,276	protected area overlaps with site	0
Marais de la Vacherie	Réserve naturelle régionale	181	protected area contained by site	0
Marais de la Grève	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	110	protected area overlaps with site	0
Marais de la Garette	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	383	protected area contained by site	0
Marais communal du Poiré-sur-Velluire	Réserve naturelle régionale	241	protected area contained by site	0
Marais communal de Saint-Denis-du-Payré	Réserve naturelle nationale	206	protected area contained by site	207
LPO-BirdLife parcels of Champagne	Private Reserve	255	protected area contained by site	255
Ile de Charouin	Hunting Reserve	50	protected area contained by site	50
Ferme de Choisy	Hunting Reserve	168	protected area contained by site	168
Ferme de Choisy	Réserve naturelle régionale	80	protected area contained by site	0
Estuaire de la Gironde et de la mer des Pertuis	Parc naturel marin	650,000	protected area overlaps with site	0
Coteaux calcaires de Chaillé les marais	Arrêté de protection de biotope	1	protected area contained by site	0
Communal du Poire sur Velluire	Hunting Reserve	260	protected area contained by site	260
Casse de la Belle Henriette	Réserve naturelle nationale	337	protected area contained by site	0
Boucles de la Sèvre Niortaise	Terrain acquis par un conservatoire d'espaces naturels	793	protected area contained by site	0
BELLE HENRIETTE	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	2	protected area contained by site	0
Baie de l'Aiguillon (Vendée)	Réserve naturelle nationale	2,300	protected area contained by site	2,600
Baie de l'Aiguillon (Charente-Maritime)	Réserve naturelle nationale	2,600	protected area contained by site	0
Baie de l'Aiguillon - Les Pres Cornut	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	32	protected area contained by site	0
Baie de l'Aiguillon - La Pree Mizottiere	Terrain acquis par le Conservatoire du Littoral	253	protected area overlaps with site	0
Baie de l'Aiguillon	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	2,300	protected area contained by site	0
Baie de l'Aiguillon	Nature Reserve	2,300	protected area contained by site	2,300

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest	-
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Humid grasslands	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land, Perennial crops, orchards and groves, Urban parks and gardens, Ruderal land	-
Marine Neritic		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
forestry	-
hunting	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Marais poitevin et baie de l'Aiguillon. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/marais-poitevin-et-baie-de-laiguillon-iba-france on 11/12/2023.