Data Zone
Country/territory: Ireland
IBA criteria met: B1i, C3 (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 11,374 ha
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2009 | very unfavourable | low | medium |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2000 baseline)
A large, shallow, tidal estuary at the head of Dingle Bay in County Kerry. Sheltered from the open sea by sand- and shingle-spits on the north and south sides, the estuary supports extensive intertidal mudflats with beds of eelgrass Zostera and fringes of saltmarsh. Inch spit on the north side supports the most extensive and intact dunes in the region, while on the south side, a smaller spit with a dune system occurs. Since the previous IBA inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989), the site has been extended to include the feeding areas of Melanitta nigra in the open part of the Bay immediately to the west of the sand-spits.
Key biodiversity
An important wetland for wintering birds, with numbers exceeding 20,000 individuals in most years. It is also the most important wintering site in Ireland for Gavia stellata (230 birds, 1996) and Melanitta nigra (5,000 birds, 1996). Many other species occur in numbers of national importance, including Anas penelope (4,093 birds, 1996), Haematopus ostralegus (1,173 birds, 1995), Pluvialis apricaria (2,300 birds, 1995), Calidris alpina (1,350 birds, 1995) and Tringa totanus (270 birds, 1995).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Castlemaine Harbour (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/castlemaine-harbour-iba-ireland on 23/11/2024.