Data Zone
Country/territory: Ireland
IBA criteria met: B1i, B3, C2, C6 (2009)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 2,300 hectares (23.00 km2)
Site description (2000 baseline)
This site encompasses an 8-km estuarine stretch of the River Foyle, with mudflat and saltmarsh habitat and two contiguous river valleys, with wet meadow, arable fields and improved pasture. It is located south of Derry city in Northern Ireland, while its eastern boundary is the County Donegal/Tyrone border. Nearby Lough Foyle, located north of Derry city, is a separate site (site 004).
Key biodiversity
This is an important site for wintering wildfowl. Species occurring in nationally important numbers include Anas crecca (657 birds, 1995), Bucephala clangula (115 birds, 1996) and Mergus serrator (42 birds, 1996).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: River Foyle: Carrigans and Swilly Burn valleys (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/river-foyle:-carrigans-and-swilly-burn-valleys-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.