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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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	2,263 birds	B1i, C3
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	winter (2001–2006)	3,381 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	passage (2001–2006)	5,219 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	winter (2001–2006)	3,804 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding (2007)	9 males	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage (2001–2006)	306 birds	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding (2007)	195 pairs	C6
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	passage (2001–2006)	1,857 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage (2001–2006)	29,458 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter (2001–2006)	40,991 birds	A4i, B1i, C2, C6
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage (2001–2006)	929 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	passage (2001–2006)	2,682 birds	B2
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter (2001–2006)	3,523 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	passage (2001–2006)	1,177 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter (2001–2006)	3,169 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter (2001–2006)	1,113 birds	B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	passage (2001–2006)	19,302 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter (2001–2006)	35,181 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	passage (2001–2006)	92 birds	C6
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	winter (2001–2006)	16 birds	C6
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage (2001–2006)	22,308 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter (2001–2006)	23,367 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	6,227 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter (2001–2006)	4,272 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2000)	63 pairs	B2, C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2006)	63 pairs	B2, C6
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	breeding (1995)	5 pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding (2007)	7 females	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (2001–2006)	93,705 birds	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2001–2006)	150,177 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 (2015) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high

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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Tetney Marshes	RSPB Reserve (-)	5
1968	Saltfleetby Theddlethorpe	National Nature Reserve (IV)	3
1973	Blacktoft Sands	Nature Reserve (IV)	1
1975	Tetney Marshes	Nature Reserve (IV)	5
1988	Spurn	Heritage Coast (V)	6
1988	Saltfleetby - Theddlethorpe Dunes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	6
1990	The Lagoons	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1996	Spurn Head	National Nature Reserve (IV)	2
1996	Reads Island	Nature Reserve (Ia)	1
2000	Cleethorpes	Local Nature Reserve (IV)	3
2002	Donna Nook	National Nature Reserve (IV)	2
2004	Humber Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	94
2004	Waters Edge	Local Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
2005	Far Ings	National Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
2008	Humber Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	76
2011	Humber Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	78

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	major (>10)	Arable land
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Scrub
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation; Fens, transition mires and springs

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Humber Estuary (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/humber-estuary-iba-united-kingdom on 23/12/2024.