Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2004 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black-faced Spoonbill Platalea minor | EN | winter (2003) | present | A1, A4i |
| Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus | LC | passage (2003) | present | A4i |
| Grey-tailed Tattler Tringa brevipes | LC | passage (2003) | present | A4i |
| Saunders's Gull Saundersilarus saundersi | VU | winter (2003) | present | A1 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2004. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2015 | moderate | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | - | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Marine Intertidal | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Kumamoto Prefectural Fisheries Coordination Regulations Article34-2 (V) of the table | 保護水面 (IV) | 1 |
| 2013 | Common fishery right area(Kumamoto) | 共同漁業権区域 (VI) | 89 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hikawa estuary, Shiranui (Japan). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hikawa-estuary-shiranui-iba-japan on 23/12/2024.