Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A complex of many habitat-types. Human activities include stock and arable farming, oyster and mussel farming, and grazing on reclaimed saltmarshes.
The site holds 20,000 or more waterbirds, on passage and in winter on a regular basis. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria:
Crex crex (5-6 breeding pairs);
Tetrax tetrax (20-50 passage individuals);
Acrocephalus paludicola (passage).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The site is seriously threatened by drainage of the wet meadow areas. Intensive agricultural practices, channelization of rivers and streams, removal of hedges, scrub and tree-lined channels, drainage of saltmarshes and salinas, and extension of oyster and mussel farming on the mudflats also pose significant problems. In addition, communal meadows of the Vendeé marshes are affected by the creation of lakes for wind-surfing. Approximately 10,000 ha of the IBA is proposed as a Special Protection Area (13,000 ha).
National Low
International Partial1,328 ha of IBA covered by 4 Hunting Reserves. 207 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Saint-Denis-du-Payré, 207 ha). 2,300 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Baie de l'Aiguillon, 2,300 ha). 255 ha of IBA covered by Private Reserve (LPO-BirdLife parcels of Champagné, 255 ha). 5,290 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Baie de l'Aiguillon, 5,290 ha). 19,960 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Intérieur, 19,960 ha). 1,000 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Pointe d'Arçay, 1,000 ha). 3,540 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais doux charentais, 3,540 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Marais poitevin et baie de l'Aiguillon (France). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/marais-poitevin-et-baie-de-laiguillon-iba-france on 22/11/2024.
