Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A shallow, coastal lagoon situated on the south coast of County Wexford, 15 km south of Wexford town. The lagoon was formerly a shallow sea bay which over time has been separated from the sea by a spit of shingle and sand. A drainage pipe reduces the water-level in the lagoon during the summer months, but in the winter, inflow exceeds outflow and the lake floods.
The waterfowl population of this lagoon is exceptionally diverse and the area supports large numbers of birds throughout the year, which is unusual among Irish wetlands. Additional species occurring in numbers of national importance include
Anas penelope (4,980 birds, 1996),
Anas acuta (440 birds, 1996),
Anas clypeata (111 birds, 1996),
Fulica atra (2,100 birds, 1996),
Pluvialis apricaria (7,860 birds, 1995) and
Vanellus vanellus (5,660 birds, 1995).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Plans are underway for the construction of a sluice at the shingle-bar, to control water-levels. Wildfowling is regulated by NPW. The site overlaps with a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Tacumshin Lake; area not known).
National High
International HighIBA overlaps with Wildfowl Sanctuary (Tacumshin Lake; area not known). 528 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Tacumshin Lake, 528 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tacumshin lake (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tacumshin-lake-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.
