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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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	passage	2001-2006	2,679 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	winter	2001-2006	5,133 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	passage	2001-2006	7,187 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	LC	winter	2001-2006	6,766 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	passage	2001-2006	3,431 individuals	B1i, C3
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	winter	2001-2006	3,256 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	passage	2001-2006	58,719 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	winter	2001-2006	50,370 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	LC	winter	2001-2006	6,014 individuals	C6
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage	2001-2006	757 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	passage	2001-2006	14,343 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	9,986 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	2001-2006	3,965 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	passage	2001-2006	776 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter	2001-2006	717 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	passage	2001-2006	16,491 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter	2001-2006	51,352 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	passage	2001-2006	10,490 individuals	B2
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	2001-2006	20,780 individuals	B1i, B2, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage	2001-2006	8,050 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	winter	2001-2006	6,727 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding	1999-2000	19,526 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3
Arctic Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus	LC	breeding	1999-2000	10,163 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2000	31,349 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	passage	2001-2006	170,965 individuals	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	225,163 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
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	2,040	5,133	individuals	100	favourable
Common Shelduck Tadorna tadorna	5,800	6,766	individuals	100	favourable
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	2,930	3,256	individuals	100	favourable
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	61,000	58,719	individuals	97	favourable
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	52,000	50,370	individuals	97	favourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	1,780	1,031	individuals	58	unfavourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	1,820	911	individuals	51	unfavourable
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria	3,700	6,014	individuals	100	favourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	1,720	757	individuals	45	unfavourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	17,400	14,343	individuals	83	near favourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	13,500	9,986	individuals	74	near favourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	840	314	individuals	38	very unfavourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	2,490	3,965	individuals	100	favourable
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	1,950	776	individuals	40	unfavourable
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	1,750	717	individuals	41	unfavourable
Red Knot Calidris canutus	12,400	16,491	individuals	100	favourable
Red Knot Calidris canutus	29,600	51,352	individuals	100	favourable
Sanderling Calidris alba	1,970	538	individuals	28	very unfavourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	60,500	20,780	individuals	35	very unfavourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	26,800	10,490	individuals	40	unfavourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	8,300	8,050	individuals	97	favourable
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	6,600	6,727	individuals	100	favourable
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	17,000	19,526	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Larus argentatus	11,000	10,163	breeding pairs	93	favourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	380	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	28,567	31,349	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	149,126	170,965	individuals	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	222,752	225,163	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Transportation and service corridors	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	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	Unknown	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1972	Arnside and Silverdale	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	11
1974	Leighton Moss & Morecambe Bay	Nature Reserve	7
1981	Roudsea Woods & Mosses	National Nature Reserve	<1
1984	Humphrey Head	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1985	Skelwith Hill	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1985	Barker Scar	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1985	Cockerham Marsh	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1986	Far Arnside	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1989	Roudsea Wood & Mosses	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1990	Morecambe Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	70
1990	Lune Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	21
1990	Arnside Knott	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1991	Jack Scout	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1995	Wyre Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3
1996	Morecambe Bay	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	98
1996	Morecambe Bay	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1996	Heysham Coast	Nature Reserve	<1
1997	South Walney and Piel Channel Flats	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	6
2005	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	84
2008	Morecambe Bay	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2011	Morecambe Bay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	84
2017	Morecambe Bay and Duddon Estuary	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 23/11/2024.