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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	LC	breeding (2004)	44 males	C6
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	LC	breeding (2006)	9 males	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	passage (2001–2006)	87 birds	C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	winter (2001–2006)	463 birds	B2, C6
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	breeding (2006)	206 pairs	B3, C6
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	breeding (2001)	2 pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2000)	19 pairs	C6
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	LC	breeding (2006)	13 pairs	C6
Woodlark Lullula arborea	LC	breeding (2006)	28 males	C6

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
European Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus	44 / 24 (males)	100	good
Eurasian Bittern Botaurus stellaris	9 / 8 (males)	100	good
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	206 / 105 (pairs)	100	good
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	7 / 28 (pairs)	25	very poor
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus	13 / 7 (pairs)	100	good
Woodlark Lullula arborea	28 / 19 (pairs)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Pollution	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A compre­hensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Walberswick	National Nature Reserve (-)	23
-	Minsmere	RSPB Reserve (-)	33
1956	Westleton Heath	National Nature Reserve (IV)	2
1967	Dunwich	Nature Reserve (V)	4
1970	Suffolk Coast and Heaths	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (V)	97
1977	Minsmere	Nature Reserve (IV)	31
1979	Suffolk	Heritage Coast (V)	73
1979	Suffolk Coast	Heritage Coast (-)	-
1993	Minsmere-Walberswick Heaths and Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	100
1999	Dingle Marshes	Nature Reserve (IV)	4
2003	Suffolk Coast	National Nature Reserve (IV)	39
2011	Outer Thames Estuary	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	5
2017	Southern North Sea	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) (UA)	6

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	major (>10)	Native coniferous woodland; Mixed woodland
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Shrubland	major (>10)	Scrub; Heathland
Grassland	minor (<10)	Humid grasslands

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Minsmere - Walberswick (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/minsmere--walberswick-iba-united-kingdom on 24/12/2024.