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• Text account
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• 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
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter	2001-2006	24,904 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	2001-2006	14,280 individuals	B1i, C3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	45,997 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
Red Knot Calidris canutus	10,450	24,904	individuals	100	favourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	6,765	14,280	individuals	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	20,318	45,997	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
No known threats	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible 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	Unknown	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1983	North Wirral Foreshore	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	95
2000	Mersey Narrows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	6
2007	Dee Estuary/ Aber Dyfrdwy	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	87
2008	Dee Estuary / Aber Dyfrdwy	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	83
2009	Liverpool Bay / Bae Lerpwl	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	7
2011	Liverpool Bay / Bae Lerpwl	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	7
2013	Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	92
2013	The Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	86
2014	Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	86

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mersey-narrows-and-north-wirral-foreshore-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.