Key Biodiversity Areas

Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore (20806)
United Kingdom, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Mersey Narrows and North Wirral Foreshore
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.4173, Longitude: -3.1328
System: marine, terrestrial
Area of KBA (km2): 22.4125
Protected area coverage (%): 99.35
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: Extensive intertidal areas in the Mersey estuary mouth and south-west along the coast, including large areas of mudflats and saltmarshes. The IBA is of international importance for wintering wildfowl and waders.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 2007, although some small areas were previously included in Mersey Estuary. Used JNCC SSSI boundary, digitised on 1:10,000 scale OS maps.

Habitats


IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal50
Marine Intertidal50