Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information The site holds 20,000 or more waterbirds, on passage and in winter on a regular basis. Species of global conservation concern that do not meet IBA criteria: Crex crex (5-6 breeding pairs); Tetrax tetrax (20-50 passage individuals); Acrocephalus paludicola (passage).

Site description A complex of many habitat-types. Human activities include stock and arable farming, oyster and mussel farming, and grazing on reclaimed saltmarshes.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Baie de l'Aiguillon	National Reserve	2,300	protected area contained by site	2,600
Baie de l'Aiguillon	Nature Reserve	2,300	protected area contained by site	2,300
Communal du Poire sur Velluire	Hunting Reserve	260	protected area contained by site	260
Ferme de Choisy	Hunting Reserve	168	protected area contained by site	168
Ile de Charouin	Hunting Reserve	50	protected area contained by site	50
LPO-BirdLife parcels of Champagne	Private Reserve	255	protected area contained by site	255
Marais Poitevin - FR5200659	Habitats Directive	47,745	protected area overlaps with site	40,860
MARAIS POITEVIN - FR5400446	Habitats Directive	20,323	protected area overlaps with site	15,662
MARAIS POITEVIN - FR5410100	Birds Directive	68,023	protected area overlaps with site	56,519
PERTUIS CHARENTAIS - FR5400469	Habitats Directive	456,027	protected area is adjacent to site	0
PERTUIS CHARENTAIS - ROCHEBONNE - FR5412026	Birds Directive	819,258	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Plaine calcaire du sud Vendée - FR5212011	Birds Directive	6,701	protected area is adjacent to site	0
PLAINE DE NIORT NORD-OUEST - FR5412013	Birds Directive	17,040	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Pointe d'Arçay	Forest Biological Reserve	212	protected area contained by site	850
Saint-Denis-du-Payré	National Nature Reserve	206	protected area contained by site	207

Habitats

Land use

Management considerations The site is seriously threatened by drainage of the wet meadow areas. Intensive agricultural practices, channelization of rivers and streams, removal of hedges, scrub and tree-lined channels, drainage of saltmarshes and salinas, and extension of oyster and mussel farming on the mudflats also pose significant problems. In addition, communal meadows of the Vendeé marshes are affected by the creation of lakes for wind-surfing. Approximately 10,000 ha of the IBA is proposed as a Special Protection Area (13,000 ha).

Protection status National Low International Partial1,328 ha of IBA covered by 4 Hunting Reserves. 207 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Saint-Denis-du-Payré, 207 ha). 2,300 ha of IBA covered by Nature Reserve (Baie de l'Aiguillon, 2,300 ha). 255 ha of IBA covered by Private Reserve (LPO-BirdLife parcels of Champagné, 255 ha). 5,290 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Baie de l'Aiguillon, 5,290 ha). 19,960 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Intérieur, 19,960 ha). 1,000 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais Poitevin Pointe d'Arçay, 1,000 ha). 3,540 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Marais doux charentais, 3,540 ha).

Related state of the world's birds case studies

• Endemic birds on Christmas Island are being devastated by introduced ants

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Marais poitevin et baie de l'Aiguillon. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 21/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife