• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• 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
Eurasian Thick-knee Burhinus oedicnemus	LC	breeding	2007	21 breeding pairs	C6

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
Burhinus oedicnemus	20	21	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	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
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	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	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1992	Porton Down	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	71
1993	Porton Down	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	56
1996	Salisbury Plain	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	71
2005	Winterbourne Downs	Nature Reserve	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Forestry plantations	-
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Mixed woodland	-
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland	-
Shrubland	Scrub, Heathland	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
military	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Porton Down (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/porton-down-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.