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• 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 Pintail Anas acuta	LC	winter	2001-2006	1,550 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	2,190 individuals	B2
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	2001-2006	10,600 individuals	B2
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage	2001-2006	1,630 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	2001-2006	1,720 individuals	B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2000	26 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	340 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2006	300 breeding pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	30,054 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 Pintail Anas acuta	1,550	1,000	individuals	65	unfavourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	585	290	individuals	50	unfavourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	2,190	2,044	individuals	94	favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	315	83	individuals	27	very unfavourable
Red Knot Calidris canutus	3,580	212	individuals	6	very unfavourable
Red Knot Calidris canutus	5,300	1,235	individuals	24	very unfavourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	10,600	6,244	individuals	59	unfavourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,630	1,732	individuals	100	favourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,630	1,732	individuals	100	favourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,720	2,262	individuals	100	favourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	26	16	breeding pairs	62	unfavourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	340	300	breeding pairs	89	near favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	21,902	18,312	individuals	84	near favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	36,093	30,054	individuals	84	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	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	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1984	Sandscale Haws	Nature Reserve	4
1986	Hodbarrow	Nature Reserve	2
1991	Duddon Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	100
1991	North Walney	National Nature Reserve	9
1996	Morecambe Bay	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	100
1998	Duddon Estuary	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1999	Sandscale Haws	National Nature Reserve	4
2000	Millom Iron Works	Local Nature Reserve	<1
2001	Duddon Estuary	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2005	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	75
2011	Duddon Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	74
2017	Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		2
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland	1
Shrubland	Scrub	1
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Duddon Estuary (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/duddon-estuary-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.