Data Zone
Country/territory: Ireland
IBA criteria met: B1i, C2, C6 (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 3,000 ha
Site description (2000 baseline)
Drumcliff Bay is the most northern section of Sligo Bay's three estuaries. The main habitats are extensive mud- and sandflats together with goose-feeding fields at Ballintemple, Lissadell and Balgilgan. The site previously included goose-feeding fields at Lissadell and has been considerably enlarged since the previous pan-European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989) to include Drumcliff Bay itself. There is intertidal shellfish cultivation (aquaculture).
Key biodiversity
The site supports large numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders. In particular, the improved grassland at Ballintemple and Lissadell provides feeding habitat for internationally important numbers of Branta leucopsis, as well as Anser albifrons flavirostris and Cygnus cygnus. Wintering waders include nationally important numbers of Tringa totanus (593 birds, 1995).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Drumcliff Bay and Ballintemple (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/drumcliff-bay-and-ballintemple-iba-ireland on 23/11/2024.