Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta | LC | winter (2002–2006) | 22–44 birds | C6 |
| Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa | NT | winter (2002–2006) | 424–667 birds | B1i, C3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2009 | good | low | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Eurasian Wigeon Mareca penelope | 650 / 1,435 (birds) | 46 | not assessed | ||
| Egretta garzetta | 40 / 44 (birds) | 91 | good | ||
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | 1,133 / 885 (birds) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | 891 / 908 (birds) | 99 | not assessed | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa | 615 / 496 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | 560 / 1,361 (birds) | 42 | not assessed | ||
| Common Greenshank Tringa nebularia | 22 / 21 (birds) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Common Redshank Tringa totanus | 560 / 337 (birds) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Pollution | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Transportation and service corridors | past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 25 | Humid grasslands |
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | 75 |
| agriculture | 25 |
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 27/12/2024.