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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
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter (2002–2006)	354–604 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	winter (2002–2006)	6,995–15,367 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter (2002–2006)	4,820–15,330 birds	B1i, C2, C6
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter (2002–2006)	2,687–3,816 birds	B1i, C2, C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (2002–2006)	1,440–4,471 birds	B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter (2002–2006)	5,989–11,099 birds	B1i, B2, C3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2002–2006)	47,042–66,309 birds	A4iii, C4

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (1994) is shown below.

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Ballymascanlon	Wildfowl Sanctuary (-)	-
-	Lurgan Green	Wildfowl Sanctuary (-)	-
2009	Dundalk Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	45

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Grassland	10	Humid grasslands
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	80
fisheries/aquaculture	50
agriculture	10

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Dundalk Bay (Ireland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/dundalk-bay-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.