Site description A complex of habitats, extending over 10 km south from Exeter to the open sea at Dawlish Warren. Broad intertidal flats and grazing-marshes are the dominant habitats. Extensive mussel, eel-grass Zostera and algal beds and a sand-spit further increase the habitat diversity. The site is important for wintering and passage wildfowl and waders, and for breeding Cettia cetti.
Populations of IBA trigger species
Protected areas
| Protected area |
Designation |
Area (ha) |
Relationship with IBA |
Overlap with IBA (ha) |
|
| Dawlish Warren |
National Nature Reserve |
154 |
protected area contained by site |
162 |
|
| Dawlish Warren |
Site of Special Scientific Interest |
182 |
protected area contained by site |
239 |
|
| Exe Estuary |
Birds Directive |
2,346 |
protected area contains site |
2,346 |
|
| Exe Estuary |
Site of Special Scientific Interest |
2,190 |
protected area contains site |
2,136 |
|
| Exe Estuary |
Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) |
2,346 |
protected area contained by site |
2,346 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat |
Habitat detail |
Extent (% of site) |
| Grassland |
Humid grasslands |
7% |
| Wetlands (inland) |
Mud flats and sand flats; Rivers and streams; Salt marshes; Sand dunes and beaches; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters; Water fringe vegetation |
93% |
Land use
| Land-use |
Extent (% of site) |
| fisheries/aquaculture |
- |
| tourism/recreation |
- |
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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Exe Estuary. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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