• Summary
• 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
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	breeding	2004	133 males	C6
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	LC	resident	1995	20 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra	LC	breeding	2002	292 breeding pairs	B3
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus	LC	resident	2002	468 breeding pairs	B2

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
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	56	133	males	100	favourable
Whinchat Saxicola rubetra	450	292	breeding pairs	65	not assessed
Common Stonechat Saxicola torquatus	300	468	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Not assessed	low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
1909	Morte	Nature Reserve	1
1918	Winsford Hill	Nature Reserve	<1
1931	Watersmeet	Nature Reserve	2
1932	Holnicote	Nature Reserve	13
1932	Shervage Wood	Nature Reserve	<1
1951	Holford	Nature Reserve	<1
1954	Exmoor	National Park	86
1957	Quantock Hills	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	11
1960	North Devon	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	3
1963	West Exmoor Coast	Nature Reserve	3
1977	Grabbist Hill	Nature Reserve	<1
1981	Beacon and Bicknoller Hills	Nature Reserve	1
1985	Greenaleigh	Nature Reserve	<1
1986	The Quantocks	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	11
1986	West Exmoor Coast and Woods	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1986	Watersmeet	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1986	Saunton To Baggy Point Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1986	Morte Point	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1986	Napp's Cave	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1987	Triscombe Hills	Nature Reserve	<1
1989	Barricane Beach	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1991	Exmoor	Heritage Coast	10
1992	North Exmoor	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	53
1992	South Exmoor	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	14
1992	North Devon	Heritage Coast	3
1993	Hillsborough	Local Nature Reserve	<1
1995	Exmoor Coastal Heaths	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	7
1995	The Dunkery & Horner Wood	National Nature Reserve	7
1997	River Barle	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1998	Exmoor Heaths	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	47
1998	Hele, Samson's and Combe Martin Bays	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
2000	Dunster Park and Heathlands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
2001	Exmoor And Quantock Oakwoods	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	6
2004	Hawkcombe Woods	National Nature Reserve	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Mixed woodland	-
Grassland		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Shrubland	Scrub, Heathland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Exmoor Coast and Heaths (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/exmoor-coast-and-heaths-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.