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Wealden Heaths
| Location | United Kingdom, South East |
| Central coordinates | 0o 51.04' West 51o 5.29' North |
| IBA criteria | B2, C6 |
| Area | 5,159 ha |
| Altitude | 37 - 260m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Site description Extensive heathland fragments located in north-east Hampshire, south-west Surrey and West Sussex, overlying the acidic soils of the Folkstone and Sandgate Beds. The IBA comprises areas of heath, mire and woodland, and supports breeding populations of specialist heathland birds.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Eurasian Nightjar Caprimulgus europaeus | breeding | 2004 | 197 breeding pairs | good | B2, C6 | Least Concern |
| Wood Lark Lullula arborea | resident | 2006 | 123 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Dartford Warbler Sylvia undata | resident | 2006 | 334 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Near Threatened |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bramshott and Ludshott Commons | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 371 | protected area contained by site | 375 |
|
| Devil's Punch Bowl | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 283 | protected area contained by site | 280 |
|
| South Downs | National Park | 0 | protected area overlaps with site | 1,354 |
|
| Surrey Hills | Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | 41,900 | protected area overlaps with site | 2,147 |
|
| Sussex Downs | Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty | 98,300 | protected area overlaps with site | 1,268 |
|
| Thursley | National Nature Reserve | 323 | protected area contained by site | 318 |
|
| Thursley and Ockley Bogs | Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) | 265 | protected area contained by site | 265 |
|
| Thursley, Hankley & Frensham Commons | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 1,880 | protected area contained by site | 1,870 |
|
| Thursley, Hankley and Frensham Commons | Birds Directive | 1,872 | protected area contained by site | 1,872 |
|
| Thursley, Hankley, Frensham Commons | Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) | 1,551 | protected area contained by site | 1,551 | |
| Wealden Heaths Phase II | Birds Directive | 1,949 | protected area contained by site | 1,949 |
|
| Woolmer Forest | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 1,299 | protected area contained by site | 1,294 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | Broadleaved deciduous woodland; Mixed woodland | - |
| Shrubland | Heathland; Scrub | - |
| Grassland | - | |
| Wetlands (inland) | Fens, transition mires and springs; Standing freshwater | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| forestry | - |
| military | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Wealden Heaths. 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
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