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• 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
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	LC	winter	2001-2006	6,678 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Common Teal Anas crecca	LC	winter	2001-2006	4,898 individuals	B1i, C3
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,373 individuals	B2
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,158 individuals	B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	winter	2001-2006	8,825 individuals	B2
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus	LC	breeding	2000	11 breeding pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	2006	54 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2006	377 breeding pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2000	192 breeding pairs	C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	2000	22 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2006	224 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	268 breeding pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter	2001-2006	53,809 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
Brent Goose Branta bernicla	7,700	6,678	individuals	87	near favourable
Anas crecca	3,750	4,898	individuals	100	favourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	615	393	individuals	64	unfavourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	575	312	individuals	55	unfavourable
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata	1,750	1,373	individuals	79	near favourable
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa	985	1,158	individuals	100	favourable
Dunlin Calidris alpina	12,300	8,825	individuals	72	near favourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	41	54	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	450	377	breeding pairs	84	near favourable
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	41	22	breeding pairs	54	unfavourable
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	300	224	breeding pairs	75	near favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	48,965	53,809	individuals	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	15,037	7,447	breeding pairs	50	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Biological resource use	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	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	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
-	Keyhaven Marshes	National Nature Reserve	5
1925	St Helen's Duver & Priory Wood	Nature Reserve	<1
1927	Hamble River	Nature Reserve	<1
1933	Newtown	Nature Reserve	3
1963	Isle of Wight	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	14
1966	Newtown Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	<1
1967	South Hampshire Coast	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	36
1973	Titchfield Haven	Local Nature Reserve	1
1979	Calshot Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	1
1980	North Solent	National Nature Reserve	10
1983	Titchfield Haven	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1984	Hythe To Calshot Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	10
1984	Sowley Pond	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1984	Lymington River Reedbeds	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1984	Lincegrove and Hackett's Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1985	Yar Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1986	Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	20
1986	Lower Test Valley	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1986	Eling and Bury Marshes	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1986	Whitecliff Bay and Bembridge Ledges	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1987	Upper Hamble Estuary and Woods	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1987	King's Quay Shore	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1988	Hamstead	Heritage Coast	9
1988	Hook with Warsash	Local Nature Reserve	3
1988	Mercury Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	<1
1990	North Solent	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	15
1990	Lymington-Keyhaven Marshes	Local Nature Reserve	2
1991	Chessel Bay	Local Nature Reserve	<1
1992	Lee-On-The Solent To Itchen Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	10
1994	Boldre Foreshore	Local Nature Reserve	3
1995	Brading Marshes To St, Helen's Ledges	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	8
1995	Newtown Harbour	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	8
1995	Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	7
1995	Newtown Harbour	National Nature Reserve	2
1995	Titchfield Haven	National Nature Reserve	2
1995	Thorness Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1995	Medina Estuary	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1995	Hackett's Marsh	Local Nature Reserve	<1
1996	Solent And Isle Of Wight Lagoons	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1
1997	Solent and Southampton Water	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	98
1997	Lymington River	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1998	Solent and Southampton Water	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	96
1998	Solent Maritime	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	47
2001	Brading Marshes	Nature Reserve	4
2001	Dibden Bay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	4
2005	New Forest	National Park	50
2005	Solent Maritime	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	22
2009	Sturt Pond	Local Nature Reserve	<1
2010	Holly Hill Woodland Park	Local Nature Reserve	<1
2011	Solent and Southampton Water	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	47
2011	Lepe Point	Local Nature Reserve	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Marine Neritic		major (>10)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Mixed woodland	minor (<10)
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Mesophile grasslands	minor (<10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Solent Marshes and Southampton Water (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/solent-marshes-and-southampton-water-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.