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UK018
Duddon Estuary
Location United Kingdom, North
Central coordinates 3o 16.16' West  54o 10.39' North
IBA criteria A4iii, B1i, B2, C3, C4, C6
Area 6,756 ha
Altitude 0 - 15m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description The IBA is situated to the north-west of Morecambe Bay, and covers a complex of habitats including intertidal mudflats, saltmarshes, sand-dunes and lagoons. The former iron-ore workings at Hodbarrow now comprise a lagoon of considerable wildlife interest. The estuary is important for breeding terns, 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  1,550 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata winter  2001-2006  2,190 individuals  good  B2  Near Threatened 
Common Redshank Tringa totanus passage  2001-2006  1,630 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Redshank Tringa totanus winter  2001-2006  1,720 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Dunlin Calidris alpina winter  2001-2006  10,600 individuals  good  B2  Least Concern 
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis breeding  2000  340 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis breeding  2006  300 breeding pairs  poor  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  2000  26 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  2001-2006  30,054 individuals  good  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Duddon Estuary Birds Directive 6,780 is identical to site 6,756  
Duddon Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest 6,786 is identical to site 6,756  
Duddon Estuary Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 6,806 is identical to site 6,756  
North Walney Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 654 protected area contained by site 654  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland  1%
Shrubland Scrub  1%
Grassland   2%
Wetlands (inland) Mud flats and sand flats; Rivers and streams; Salt marshes; Sand dunes and beaches; Shingle or stony beaches; Standing freshwater  96%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
tourism/recreation -

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Duddon Estuary. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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