Data Zone
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 IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 681 individuals | B1i, C3 |
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 1,260 individuals | C6 |
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | NT | winter (2001–2006) | 1,073 individuals | A4i, B1i, C3 |
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.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | unfavourable | medium | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Brent Goose Branta bernicla | 681 / 245 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | 1,260 / 1,690 (individuals) | 75 | near favourable | ||
| Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula | 255 / 545 (individuals) | 47 | unfavourable | ||
| Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres | 1,073 / 1,240 (individuals) | 87 | near favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Most of site (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Ballymacormick Point | Nature Reserve (V) | 1 |
| 1955 | Strangford Lough | Nature Reserve (V) | 3 |
| 1965 | Kearney | Nature Reserve (V) | 1 |
| 1972 | Strangford Lough | Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (V) | - |
| 1984 | Orlock Point | Nature Reserve (V) | <1 |
| 1988 | BALLYMACORMICK POINT | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | 2 |
| 1995 | BALLYQUINTIN POINT | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | <1 |
| 1995 | Strangford Lough | Marine Nature Reserve (IV) | 10 |
| 2001 | OUTER ARDS | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | 78 |
| 2010 | STRANGFORD & LECALE | Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (NI) (V) | 20 |
| 2011 | Outer Ards | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 65 |
| 2017 | North Channel | Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) (UA) | 57 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Marine Intertidal | - | |
| Marine Neritic | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| fisheries/aquaculture | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Outer Ards (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/outer-ards-iba-united-kingdom on 06/01/2025.