IE123
Lough Oughter


Site description (2000 baseline):

Site location and context
A complicated system of inter-drumlin lakes, basins and islands on the River Erne, County Cavan. Sheltered shores support swamp and marsh habitat and the site also includes adjacent fields which occasionally flood. The site is a southward extension of Upper Lough Erne (UK site 287) in Northern Ireland.



Key biodiversity
This site is important for its wintering birds. Other species wintering in numbers of national importance are Podiceps cristatus (40 birds, 1996), Phalacrocorax carbo (139 birds, 1996), Cygnus olor (137 birds, 1996) and Anas penelope (1,544 birds, 1995).



Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The deepening of drains and excessive use of fertilizer are resulting in nutrient pollution of the lake.



Protected areas
National High International HighIBA overlaps with Wildfowl Sanctuary (Lough Oughter; area not known). 1,464 ha of IBA covered by Ramsar Site (Lough Oughter, 1,464 ha). 1,464 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Lough Oughter, 1,464 ha).




Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lough Oughter (Ireland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lough-oughter-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.