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UK064
Solent Marshes and Southampton Water
Location United Kingdom, South East
Central coordinates 1o 18.39' West  50o 48.73' North
IBA criteria A4i, A4iii, B1i, B2, C3, C4, C6
Area 5,615 ha
Altitude 0 - 15m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description This site comprises the estuaries, saltmarshes and mudflats around Southampton Water and the western Solent, including habitats on both the mainland and the Isle of Wight. The mudflats support beds of algae and eel-grass Zostera. Shingle and both neutral and calcareous grassland vegetation communities exist within the IBA. It IBA is important for breeding terns, gulls and waterbirds and for wintering wildfowl and waders.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Brent Goose Branta bernicla winter  2001-2006  6,678 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Teal Anas crecca winter  2001-2006  4,898 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Black-tailed Godwit Limosa limosa winter  2001-2006  1,158 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Near Threatened 
Eurasian Curlew Numenius arquata winter  2001-2006  1,373 individuals  good  B2  Near Threatened 
Dunlin Calidris alpina winter  2001-2006  8,825 individuals  good  B2  Least Concern 
Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus breeding  2000  11 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis breeding  2006  224 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis breeding  2000  268 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  2006  377 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Common Tern Sterna hirundo breeding  2000  192 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea breeding  2000  22 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  2006  54 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 
A4iii Species group - waterbirds winter  2001-2006  53,809 individuals  good  A4iii, C4   

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Brading Marshes to St. Helen's Ledges Site of Special Scientific Interest 489 protected area overlaps with site 443  
Hamstead Heritage Coast 1,841 protected area overlaps with site 498  
Hurst Castle and Lymington River Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest 1,077 protected area contained by site 1,110  
Hythe to Calshot Marshes Site of Special Scientific Interest 592 protected area overlaps with site 580  
Isle of Wight Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 18,900 protected area overlaps with site 807  
Keyhaven Marshes National Nature Reserve 314 protected area overlaps with site 302  
Lee-on-the Solent to Itchen Estuary Site of Special Scientific Interest 586 protected area overlaps with site 535  
New Forest National Park 57,100 protected area overlaps with site 2,787  
Newtown Harbour Site of Special Scientific Interest 616 protected area overlaps with site 435  
North Solent National Nature Reserve 926 protected area overlaps with site 576  
North Solent Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) 1,189 protected area overlaps with site 850  
Ryde Sands and Wootton Creek Site of Special Scientific Interest 420 protected area overlaps with site 395  
Solent and Southampton Water Birds Directive 5,506 protected area contained by site 5,506  
Solent and Southampton Water Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 5,415 protected area contained by site 5,415  
South Hampshire Coast Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty 7,700 protected area overlaps with site 2,016  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland  -
Grassland   -
Wetlands (inland) Coastal lagoons; Mud flats and sand flats; Rivers and streams; Salt marshes; Shingle or stony beaches; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters; Water fringe vegetation  -

Land use

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

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Solent Marshes and Southampton Water. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 19/06/2013

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