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• 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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	passage	2001-2006	846 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter	2001-2006	774 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	passage	2001-2006	2,210 individuals	B1i, C3
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter	2001-2006	1,018 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	passage	2001-2006	3,565 individuals	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2001-2006	5,630 individuals	C6
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	2,119 individuals	B2
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	passage	2001-2006	254 individuals	C6
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,644 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2001-2006	27,411 individuals	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	32,347 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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	785	774	individuals	99	favourable
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	97	15	individuals	16	very unfavourable
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	3,820	1,018	individuals	27	very unfavourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	2,100	3,565	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	5,050	5,630	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	1,980	2,119	individuals	100	favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	495	254	individuals	52	unfavourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	2,150	1,644	individuals	77	near favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	35,938	32,347	individuals	91	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Lough Foyle	RSPB Reserve	17
1966	North Derry	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	-
1976	Roe Estuary	National Nature Reserve	7
1992	Lough Foyle	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	43
1994	MAGILLIGAN	Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI)	21
1995	Lough Foyle	Nature Reserve	13
1996	Magilligan	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	20
1998	LOUGH FOYLE	Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI)	39
1999	Lough Foyle	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	43
2003	RIVER FOYLE AND TRIBUTARIES	Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI)	6
2003	River Foyle and Tributaries	Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)	-
2004	River Foyle And Tributaries	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	6
2006	BINEVENAGH	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NI)	39
2011	Lough Foyle	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	37

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lough Foyle and River Foyle (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lough-foyle-and-river-foyle-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.