• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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
Mute Swan Cygnus olor	LC	winter (2002–2006)	199–288 birds	B1i
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	LC	winter (2004–2006)	1,946–3,177 birds	A4i, B1i, B3, C2, C6
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter (2002–2006)	222–340 birds	B1i, C3
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter (2002–2006)	1,056–2,743 birds	B1i, C3
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	winter (2002–2006)	626–1,383 birds	B1i, C2, C6
Greater Scaup Aythya marila	LC	winter (2002–2006)	32–70 birds	B2
Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata	LC	winter (2002–2006)	7–50 birds	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding (2001)	89 pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding (2001–2005)	239 pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2002–2006)	23,960–31,867 birds	A4iii, C4

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Lough Swilly	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance (-)	-
-	Blanket Nook	Wildfowl Sanctuary (-)	-

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	10	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes; Arable land
Grassland	10	Humid grasslands; Mesophile grasslands
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	95
fisheries/aquaculture	80
agriculture	20

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lough Swilly including Blanket Nook and Inch Lake (Ireland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lough-swilly-including-blanket-nook-and-inch-lake-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.