Data Zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | LC | passage (2001–2006) | 460 birds | C6 |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 482 birds | B2, C6 |
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 4,530 birds | C6 |
| Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula | LC | passage (2001–2006) | 570 birds | B1i, C3 |
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | NT | winter (2001–2006) | 1,286 birds | B2 |
| Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica | NT | winter (2001–2006) | 763 birds | B2 |
| Ruff Calidris pugnax | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 16 birds | C6 |
| Common Redshank Tringa totanus | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 1,972 birds | B1i, C3 |
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | LC | breeding (2000) | 113 pairs | B2, C6 |
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | LC | breeding (2006) | 50 pairs | B2 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | winter (2001–2006) | 44,175 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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | very poor | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | 4,615 / 5,400 (birds) | 86 | moderate | ||
| Anas crecca | 3,630 / 4,020 (birds) | 91 | good | ||
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | 460 / 210 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | 482 / 290 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola | 3,126 / 1,970 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola | 1,101 / 2,490 (birds) | 45 | poor | ||
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | 4,530 / 3,270 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula | 570 / 1,180 (birds) | 49 | poor | ||
| Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula | 497 / 640 (birds) | 78 | moderate | ||
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | 1,286 / 660 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica | 763 / 380 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa | 399 / 1,520 (birds) | 27 | very poor | ||
| Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa | 180 / 1,620 (birds) | 12 | very poor | ||
| Ruff Calidris pugnax | 16 / 44 (birds) | 37 | very poor | ||
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | 4,619 / 6,000 (birds) | 77 | moderate | ||
| Common Redshank Tringa totanus | 1,972 / 1,430 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | 50 / 113 (pairs) | 45 | poor | ||
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | 44,175 / 38,543 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Residential and commercial development | likely in short term (<4 years) | 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 | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1983 | Hamford Water | National Nature Reserve (IV) | 64 |
| 1986 | The Naze | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | <1 |
| 1987 | Hamford Water | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 99 |
| 2011 | Hamford Water | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 51 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) | |
| Grassland | minor (<10) | |
| Shrubland | minor (<10) | Scrub |
| 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 23/12/2024.