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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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	2,679 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	winter (2001–2006)	5,133 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	passage (2001–2006)	7,187 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	winter (2001–2006)	6,766 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	passage (2001–2006)	3,431 birds	B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	winter (2001–2006)	3,256 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	passage (2001–2006)	58,719 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	winter (2001–2006)	50,370 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter (2001–2006)	6,014 birds	C6
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage (2001–2006)	757 birds	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	passage (2001–2006)	14,343 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter (2001–2006)	9,986 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter (2001–2006)	3,965 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	passage (2001–2006)	776 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter (2001–2006)	717 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	passage (2001–2006)	16,491 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter (2001–2006)	51,352 birds	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage (2001–2006)	10,490 birds	B2
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter (2001–2006)	20,780 birds	B1i, B2, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	8,050 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter (2001–2006)	6,727 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding (1999–2000)	19,526 pairs	A4i, B1i, B3
Arctic Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus	LC	breeding (1999–2000)	10,163 pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding (1999–2000)	31,349 pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage (2001–2006)	170,965 birds	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2001–2006)	225,163 birds	A4iii, C4

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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	5,133 / 2,040 (birds)	100	good
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	6,766 / 5,800 (birds)	100	good
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	3,256 / 2,930 (birds)	100	good
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	58,719 / 61,000 (birds)	97	good
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	50,370 / 52,000 (birds)	97	good
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	1,031 / 1,780 (birds)	58	poor
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	911 / 1,820 (birds)	51	poor
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	6,014 / 3,700 (birds)	100	good
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	757 / 1,720 (birds)	45	poor
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	14,343 / 17,400 (birds)	83	moderate
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	9,986 / 13,500 (birds)	74	moderate
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	3,965 / 2,490 (birds)	100	good
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	314 / 840 (birds)	38	very poor
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	776 / 1,950 (birds)	40	poor
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	717 / 1,750 (birds)	41	poor
Red Knot Calidris canutus	16,491 / 12,400 (birds)	100	good
Red Knot Calidris canutus	51,352 / 29,600 (birds)	100	good
Sanderling Calidris alba	538 / 1,970 (birds)	28	very poor
Dunlin Calidris alpina	20,780 / 60,500 (birds)	35	very poor
Dunlin Calidris alpina	10,490 / 26,800 (birds)	40	poor
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	8,050 / 8,300 (birds)	97	good
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	6,727 / 6,600 (birds)	100	good
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	19,526 / 17,000 (pairs)	100	good
Larus argentatus	10,163 / 11,000 (pairs)	93	good
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	0 / 380 (pairs)	0	very poor
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	170,965 / 149,126 (birds)	100	good
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	225,163 / 222,752 (birds)	100	good
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	31,349 / 28,567 (pairs)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Transportation and service corridors	likely in short term (<4 years)	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% 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	Unknown	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1972	Arnside and Silverdale	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (V)	11
1974	Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay	Nature Reserve (IV)	7
1981	Roudsea Woods & Mosses	National Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
1984	Humphrey Head	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1985	Skelwith Hill	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1985	Barker Scar	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1985	Cockerham Marsh	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1986	Far Arnside	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1989	Roudsea Wood & Mosses	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1990	Morecambe Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	70
1990	Lune Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	21
1990	Arnside Knott	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1991	Jack Scout	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1995	Wyre Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	3
1996	Heysham Coast	Nature Reserve (V)	<1
1997	South Walney and Piel Channel Flats	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	6
2005	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	84
2011	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	84

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	major (>10)
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
fisheries/aquaculture	-
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Morecambe Bay (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/morecambe-bay-iba-united-kingdom on 23/12/2024.