Data Zone
Country/territory: United Kingdom
IBA criteria met: A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, B3, C2, C3, C4, C6 (2007)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 69,908 hectares (699.08 km2)
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2007 | very poor | high | low |
| For more information about IBA monitoring, please click here | |||
Site description (2007 baseline)
The IBA comprises one of the most important areas of estuarine mudflats, sandbanks and saltmarsh in the UK. Included at the eastern end of the site are the low chalk cliffs at Hunstanton. Dune and saltmarsh communities show a typical flora and fauna, although much of the upper saltmarsh zone has been reclaimed. The Wash supports an important shellfishery. This extensive site is an important breeding area for several species of wildfowl, gulls and terns, and supports large concentrations of passage and wintering waders and wildfowl.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: The Wash (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/the-wash-iba-united-kingdom on 22/12/2024.