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UK082
Burry Inlet
Location United Kingdom, Wales
Central coordinates 4o 10.69' West  51o 38.94' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C3, C4
Area 6,650 ha
Altitude 0 - 15m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description The Burry inlet forms a large intertidal area between the Gower peninsula and Llanelli. Large sand-dune systems and the most extensive area of saltmarsh in Wales occur within the IBA. The site attracts important numbers of wintering and passage wildfowl and waders.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Northern Pintail Anas acuta winter  2001-2006  3,814 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus passage  2001-2006  10,773 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus winter  2001-2006  14,441 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Dunlin Calidris alpina winter  2001-2006  6,948 individuals  good  B2  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds passage  2001-2006  30,509 individuals  good  A4iii, C4   
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  2001-2006  44,198 individuals  good  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Arfordir Pen-bre/pembrey Coast Site of Special Scientific Interest 4,120 protected area overlaps with site 441  
Bae Caerfyrddin ac Aberoedd (Carmarthen Bay and Estuaries) Habitats Directive 65,872 protected area contains site 6,650  
Burry Inlet Birds Directive 6,654 is identical to site 6,650  
Burry Inlet Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 6,628 is identical to site 6,628  
Burry Inlet and Loughor Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest 5,897 protected area overlaps with site 5,323  
Gower Heritage Coast 0 protected area overlaps with site 1,622  
Gwyr (Gower) Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 0 protected area overlaps with site 4,081  
Llanrhidian Marsh Park 0 protected area contained by site 959  
Twyni Chwitffordd, Morfa Landim_r a Bae Brychdwn/Whiteford Burrows, Landimore Marsh and Broughton Ba Site of Special Scientific Interest 1,391 protected area overlaps with site 842  
Whiteford National Nature Reserve 782 protected area contained by site 782  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Grassland   -
Wetlands (inland) Mud flats and sand flats; Salt marshes; Sand dunes and beaches; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters  -

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Burry Inlet. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013

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