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The site was identified as important in 2007 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	2001-2006	6,678 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter	2001-2006	4,898 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,373 individuals	B2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,158 individuals	B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	LC	winter	2001-2006	8,825 individuals	B2
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	breeding	2000	11 breeding pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2006	54 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2006	377 breeding pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2000	192 breeding pairs	C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	2000	22 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2006	224 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	268 breeding pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	53,809 individuals	A4iii, C4

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (2007).

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Branta bernicla	Brent Goose	7700	6678	individuals	87	near favourable
Anas crecca		3750	4898	individuals	100	favourable
Charadrius hiaticula	Common Ringed Plover	615	393	individuals	64	unfavourable
Charadrius hiaticula	Common Ringed Plover	575	312	individuals	55	unfavourable
Numenius arquata	Eurasian Curlew	1750	1373	individuals	79	near favourable
Limosa limosa	Black-tailed Godwit	985	1158	individuals	100	favourable
Calidris alpina	Dunlin	12300	8825	individuals	72	near favourable
Sternula albifrons	Little Tern	41	54	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	450	377	breeding pairs	84	near favourable
Sterna paradisaea	Arctic Tern	41	22	breeding pairs	54	unfavourable
Thalasseus sandvicensis	Sandwich Tern	300	224	breeding pairs	75	near favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	48965	53809	individuals	100	favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	15037	7447	breeding pairs	50	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - small dams	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	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	shipping lanes	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other 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 conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Yar Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	132	protected area overlaps with site	0
Whitecliff Bay and Bembridge Ledges	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	132	protected area overlaps with site	0
Westwood Woodland Park	Local Nature Reserve	50	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	151	protected area overlaps with site	0
Titchfield Haven	National Nature Reserve	120	protected area overlaps with site	0
Titchfield Haven	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	135	protected area overlaps with site	0
Titchfield Haven	Local Nature Reserve	93	protected area overlaps with site	0
Thorness Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	86	protected area overlaps with site	0
The New Forest	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	28,945	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Sturt Pond	Local Nature Reserve	11	protected area overlaps with site	0
St Helen's Duver & Priory Wood	Nature Reserve	40	protected area overlaps with site	0
Sowley Pond	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	49	protected area overlaps with site	0
South Wight Maritime	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	19,866	protected area is adjacent to site	0
South Wight Maritime	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area is adjacent to site	0
South Hampshire Coast	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	7,700	protected area overlaps with site	2,016
Solent Maritime	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Solent Maritime	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	11,243	protected area overlaps with site	0
Solent and Southampton Water	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	5,401	protected area contained by site	5,506
Solent and Southampton Water	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Solent and Southampton Water	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	5,415	protected area overlaps with site	5,415
Solent And Isle Of Wight Lagoons	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	38	protected area overlaps with site	0
Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	420	protected area overlaps with site	395
River Test	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	438	protected area is adjacent to site	0
North Solent	National Nature Reserve	926	protected area overlaps with site	576
North Solent	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1,188	protected area overlaps with site	850
Newtown Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	18	protected area overlaps with site	0
Newtown Harbour	National Nature Reserve	286	protected area overlaps with site	0
Newtown Harbour	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	616	protected area overlaps with site	435
Newtown	Nature Reserve	350	protected area overlaps with site	0
New Forest	National Park	56,693	protected area overlaps with site	2,787
Mercury Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	6	protected area overlaps with site	0
Medina Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	101	protected area overlaps with site	0
Manor Farm	Local Nature Reserve	144	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	168	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lymington River Reedbeds	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	42	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lymington River	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	35	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lower Test Valley	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	142	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lincegrove and Hackett's Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	38	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lepe Point	Local Nature Reserve	4	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lee-On-The Solent To Itchen Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	586	protected area overlaps with site	535
King's Quay Shore	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	91	protected area overlaps with site	0
Keyhaven Marshes	National Nature Reserve	314	protected area overlaps with site	302
Isle of Wight	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	19,150	protected area overlaps with site	807
Hythe To Calshot Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	592	protected area overlaps with site	580
Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1,078	protected area overlaps with site	1,110
Hook with Warsash	Local Nature Reserve	252	protected area overlaps with site	0
Holly Hill Woodland Park	Local Nature Reserve	28	protected area overlaps with site	0
Hamstead	Heritage Coast	3,391	protected area overlaps with site	498
Hamble River	Nature Reserve	20	protected area overlaps with site	0
Hackett's Marsh	Local Nature Reserve	20	protected area overlaps with site	0
Eling and Bury Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	112	protected area overlaps with site	0
Dibden Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	230	protected area overlaps with site	0
Chessel Bay	Local Nature Reserve	13	protected area overlaps with site	0
Calshot Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	51	protected area overlaps with site	0
Brading Marshes To St, Helen's Ledges	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	489	protected area overlaps with site	443
Brading Marshes	Nature Reserve	384	protected area overlaps with site	0
Boldre Foreshore	Local Nature Reserve	193	protected area overlaps with site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Marine Intertidal		-
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Mixed woodland	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Mesophile grasslands	-
Marine Neritic		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

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

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Solent Marshes and Southampton Water. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/solent-marshes-and-southampton-water-iba-united-kingdom on 28/11/2023.