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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	winter (2001–2006)	1,550 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter (2001–2006)	2,190 birds	B2
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter (2001–2006)	10,600 birds	B2
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	1,630 birds	B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter (2001–2006)	1,720 birds	B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2000)	26 pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding (2000)	340 pairs	B2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding (2006)	300 pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2001–2006)	30,054 birds	A4iii, C4

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	1,000 / 1,550 (birds)	65	poor
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	290 / 585 (birds)	50	poor
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	2,044 / 2,190 (birds)	94	good
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	83 / 315 (birds)	27	very poor
Red Knot Calidris canutus	212 / 3,580 (birds)	6	very poor
Red Knot Calidris canutus	1,235 / 5,300 (birds)	24	very poor
Dunlin Calidris alpina	6,244 / 10,600 (birds)	59	poor
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,732 / 1,630 (birds)	100	good
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,732 / 1,630 (birds)	100	good
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	2,262 / 1,720 (birds)	100	good
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	16 / 26 (pairs)	62	poor
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	300 / 340 (pairs)	89	moderate
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	30,054 / 36,093 (birds)	84	moderate
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	18,312 / 21,902 (birds)	84	moderate

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% 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	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1984	Sandscale Haws	Nature Reserve (V)	4
1986	Hodbarrow	Nature Reserve (IV)	2
1991	Duddon Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	100
1991	North Walney	National Nature Reserve (IV)	9
1999	Sandscale Haws	National Nature Reserve (IV)	4
2000	Millom Iron Works	Local Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
2005	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	75
2011	Duddon Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	74

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

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 23/12/2024.