Data Zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus | LC | winter (2001–2006) | 5,459 | A4i, B1i, C3 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | winter (2001–2006) | 21,007 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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | poor | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus | 5,459 / 4,630 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata | 941 / 1,660 (birds) | 57 | poor | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity |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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Cree Estuary | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 99 |
| 2010 | Crook Of Baldoon | Nature Reserve (IV) | 1 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 10 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Wigtown Bay (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/wigtown-bay-iba-united-kingdom on 07/12/2024.