Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
An estuary, bay and open sea, with mudflats, sandy beaches, cliffs and rocky islets.
This is an important site for wintering and passage waterbirds and passage auks (Alcidae). The site holds 20,000 or more waterbirds on passage and in winter, on a regular basis (including
Phalacrocorax carbo 4,000 (passage);
Anser anser 10,000 (passage);
Vanellus vanellus 6,000 (winter)). Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Tetrax tetrax (passage).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
No serious threats are known at this site. Disturbance has declined since entry to the estuary was prohibited.
National High
International None9,300 ha of IBA covered by Hunting Reserve (9,300 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Estuaire de la Bidassoa et Baie de Fontarabie (France). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/estuaire-de-la-bidassoa-et-baie-de-fontarabie-iba-france on 23/12/2024.
