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 IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 216 individuals | B1i, C3 |
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | LC | breeding (2000) | 4 breeding pairs | B2, C6 |
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | LC | breeding (2006) | 4 breeding pairs | B2, C6 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (2000) | 521 breeding pairs | C6 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (2006) | 743 breeding pairs | C6 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | LC | breeding (2000) | 348 breeding pairs | B2, C6 |
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | LC | breeding (2006) | 465 breeding pairs | B2, C6 |
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 status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | near favourable | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | 216 / 220 (individuals) | 99 | favourable | ||
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | 5 / 7 (breeding pairs) | 72 | near favourable | ||
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | 743 / 220 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis | 465 / 235 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | 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 | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Larne Lough Islands | Nature Reserve (Ia) | <1 |
| 1996 | LARNE LOUGH | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | 100 |
| 2011 | Larne Lough | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 54 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Marine Intertidal | - | |
| Marine Neritic | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| fisheries/aquaculture | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Larne Lough (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/larne-lough-iba-united-kingdom on 16/01/2025.