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• Text account
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• Map
• Reference and further resources

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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter (2001–2006)	3,298 birds	B2
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	passage (2001–2006)	1,545 birds	B1i, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2000)	19 pairs	C6
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (2006)	25 pairs	B2, C6
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	winter (2001–2006)	26,148 birds	A4iii, C4

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	227 / 765 (birds)	30	very poor
Red Knot Calidris canutus	3,298 / 3,780 (birds)	88	moderate
Ruff Calidris pugnax	20 / 45 (birds)	45	poor
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	1,545 / 1,360 (birds)	100	good
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	25 / 80 (pairs)	32	very poor
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	26,148 / 20,512 (birds)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Natural system modifications	likely in short term (<4 years)	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>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 (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1983	Seal Sands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	18
1985	Seaton Dunes and Common	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	19
1988	South Gare & Coatham Sands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	31
1989	Cowpen Marsh	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	10
1995	Teesmouth	National Nature Reserve (IV)	8
1997	Tees and Hartlepool Foreshore and Wetlands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	20
1998	Seaton Dunes and Common SSSI	Local Nature Reserve (IV)	6
1998	Durham Coast	National Nature Reserve (IV)	<1
1999	Saltholme	Nature Reserve (IV)	18
1999	Durham Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	2
2011	Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	41

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Marine Intertidal	major (>10)
Marine Neritic	major (>10)
Grassland	minor (<10)	Humid grasslands
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	minor (<10)

Land use	% of IBA
fisheries/aquaculture	-
nature conservation and research	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/teesmouth-and-cleveland-coast-iba-united-kingdom on 23/12/2024.