• 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
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage	2001-2006	460 individuals	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter	2001-2006	482 individuals	B2, C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2001-2006	4,530 individuals	C6
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage	2001-2006	570 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,286 individuals	B2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	2001-2006	763 individuals	B2
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	winter	2001-2006	16 individuals	C6
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	2001-2006	1,972 individuals	B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2000	113 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2006	50 breeding pairs	B2
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	44,175 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
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	5,400	4,615	individuals	86	near favourable
Anas crecca	4,020	3,630	individuals	91	favourable
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	210	460	individuals	100	favourable
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	290	482	individuals	100	favourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	1,970	3,126	individuals	100	favourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	2,490	1,101	individuals	45	unfavourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	3,270	4,530	individuals	100	favourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	1,180	570	individuals	49	unfavourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	640	497	individuals	78	near favourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	660	1,286	individuals	100	favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	380	763	individuals	100	favourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	1,620	180	individuals	12	very unfavourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	1,520	399	individuals	27	very unfavourable
Ruff Calidris pugnax	44	16	individuals	37	very unfavourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	6,000	4,619	individuals	77	near favourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,430	1,972	individuals	100	favourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	113	50	breeding pairs	45	unfavourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	38,543	44,175	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Pollution	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	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1983	Hamford Water	National Nature Reserve	64
1986	The Naze	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1987	Hamford Water	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	99
1989	Hamford Water	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1993	Hamford Water	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	99
2011	Hamford Water	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	51
2013	Hamford Water	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Grassland		minor (<10)
Shrubland	Scrub	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hamford Water (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hamford-water-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.