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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	winter	2001-2006	76 individuals	C6
Gadwall Mareca strepera	LC	breeding	1990-1995	33 breeding pairs	B2
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter	2001-2006	4,046 individuals	B1i, C3
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	LC	breeding	1995	6 breeding pairs	C6
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2001-2006	3,454 individuals	C6
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	winter	2001-2006	100 individuals	C6
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	breeding	1995	6 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	55,836 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	52	76	individuals	100	favourable
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus	45	3	individuals	7	very unfavourable
Anas crecca	5,800	4,046	individuals	70	near favourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	5,050	3,454	individuals	69	unfavourable
Ruff Calidris pugnax	115	100	individuals	87	near favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	38,087	55,836	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Pollution	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other 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	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1985	Lower Derwent Valley	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	84
1986	Melbourne and Thornton Ings	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	18
1986	River Derwent	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	16
1986	Newton Mask	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1990	Lower Derwent Valley	National Nature Reserve	39
1992	Derwent Ings	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	61
1992	Breighton Meadows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1993	Lower Derwent Valley	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1996	Lower Derwent Valley	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	84
2001	River Derwent	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	15

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Alluvial and very wet forest	-
Grassland		-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Blanket bogs, Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lower Derwent Valley (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lower-derwent-valley-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.