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UK043
Minsmere - Walberswick
Location United Kingdom, East Anglia
Central coordinates 1o 37.56' East  52o 18.13' North
IBA criteria B2, B3, C6
Area 2,212 ha
Altitude 0 - 21m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description The IBA covers a complex of habitats, including one of the largest intact reedbeds (Phragmites) in the UK. The site also includes the tidal Blyth estuary, and areas of brackish lagoon, lowland heathland and woodland. The site supports a rich diversity of breeding, wintering and passage species, and is noted for breeding Recurvirostra avosetta.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Great Bittern Botaurus stellaris breeding  2006  9 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 
Western Marsh-harrier Circus aeruginosus breeding  2006  13 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta passage  2001-2006  87 individuals  good  C6  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta winter  2001-2006  463 individuals  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta breeding  2006  206 breeding pairs  good  B3, C6  Least Concern 
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus breeding  2001  2 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  2000  19 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus breeding  2004  44 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 
Wood Lark Lullula arborea breeding  2006  28 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Minsmere RSPB Reserve 1,005 protected area overlaps with site 738  
Minsmere - Walberswick Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 2,019 protected area contained by site 2,019  
Minsmere-Walberswick Birds Directive 2,019 protected area contained by site 2,019  
Minsmere-walberswick Heaths and Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest 2,327 protected area contains site 2,212  
Suffolk Coast Heritage Coast 0 protected area overlaps with site 1,577  
Suffolk Coast National Nature Reserve 0 protected area overlaps with site 865  
Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 40,300 protected area contains site 2,146  
Walberswick National Nature Reserve 514 protected area contained by site 514  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Mixed woodland; Native coniferous woodland  -
Shrubland Heathland; Scrub  -
Grassland   -
Wetlands (inland) Salt marshes; Sand dunes and beaches; Shingle or stony beaches; Standing brackish and salt water; Standing freshwater; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters; Water fringe vegetation  -

Land use

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

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Minsmere - Walberswick. 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