Data Zone
Country/territory: Ireland
IBA criteria met: B1i, C3, C6 (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 500 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2009 | favourable | low | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2000 baseline)
A small estuary of the Blackwater river with a narrow opening to the sea. This site includes areas of intertidal mudflat and saltmarsh within the main Blackwater estuary and the smaller adjoining Tourig estuary. An intertidal pool at Foxhole, where the embankment has been breached is also within the site. The estuary is used for recreational boating activities.
Key biodiversity
Several other wintering species occur in numbers of national importance, including Anas penelope (1,001 birds, 1995), Pluvialis squatarola (77 birds, 1996) and Calidris alpina (2,537 birds, 1996).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Blackwater estuary (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/blackwater-estuary-iba-ireland on 23/11/2024.