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UK019
Dungeness To Pett Levels
Location United Kingdom, South East
Central coordinates 0o 49.80' East  50o 58.53' North
IBA criteria A4iii, B1i, B2, C2, C3, C4, C6
Area 9,805 ha
Altitude 2 - 5m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description The IBA includes inland wetlands, grazing-marsh and arable land, and two shingle-beaches at Dungeness and Rye Harbour. The shingle-beach systems support very unusual vegetation-types. The IBA is important for breeding terns and breeding, passage and wintering wildfowl and waders.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Tundra Swan Cygnus columbianus winter  2001-2006  165 individuals  good  B2, C2, C6  Least Concern 
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata passage  2001-2006  457 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Northern Shoveler Anas clypeata winter  2001-2006  547 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Smew Mergellus albellus winter  2001-2006  32 individuals  good  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria winter  2001-2006  3,864 individuals  good  C6  Least Concern 
Ruff Philomachus pugnax winter  2001-2006  35 individuals  good  C6  Least Concern 
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis breeding  2006  500 breeding pairs  good  B1i, B2, C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  2006  170 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  2000  118 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  2001-2006  33,589 individuals  good  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Dungeness to Pett Level Birds Directive 1,474 protected area contained by site 1,471  
Dungeness, Romney Marsh and Rye Bay Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 9,137 protected area overlaps with site 4,469  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Grassland Humid grasslands  -
Wetlands (inland) Fens, transition mires and springs; Mud flats and sand flats; Rivers and streams; Salt marshes; Shingle or stony beaches; Standing freshwater; Water fringe vegetation  -
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Highly improved re-seeded landscapes  -

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
military -
nature conservation and research -
tourism/recreation -

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Dungeness To Pett Levels. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013

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