• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	LC	winter	2001-2006	419 individuals	B1i, C3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2001-2006	21,378 individuals	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	22,232 individuals	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Northern Shoveler Spatula clypeata	685	419	individuals	62	unfavourable
Gadwall Mareca strepera	430	291	individuals	68	unfavourable
Anas crecca	4,550	3,286	individuals	73	near favourable
Great Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo	505	370	breeding pairs	74	near favourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	3,300	308	individuals	10	very unfavourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	36,504	22,232	individuals	61	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1981	Abberton Reservoir	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	36
1988	Abberton Reservoir	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	36
1992	Abberton Reservoir	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	-
Grassland		-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Abberton Reservoir (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/abberton-reservoir-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.