Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Site description The IBA comprises one of the most important areas of estuarine mudflats, sandbanks and saltmarsh in the UK. Included at the eastern end of the site are the low chalk cliffs at Hunstanton. Dune and saltmarsh communities show a typical flora and fauna, although much of the upper saltmarsh zone has been reclaimed. The Wash supports an important shellfishery. This extensive site is an important breeding area for several species of wildfowl, gulls and terns, and supports large concentrations of passage and wintering waders and wildfowl.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Norfolk Coast	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	45,100	protected area overlaps with site	5,726
The Wash	Birds Directive	62,212	protected area contained by site	62,212
The Wash	National Nature Reserve	306	protected area contained by site	8,582
The Wash	Site of Special Scientific Interest	62,046	protected area contained by site	62,212
The Wash	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	62,212	protected area contained by site	62,212

Habitats

Land use

Contribute  Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.

Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: The Wash. 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