Outer Ards (2567)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Outer Ards
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.4533, Longitude: -5.4440
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 30
Area of KBA (km2): 14.09179
Protected area coverage (%): 99.98
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site covers a section of the flat, east-facing shoreline of the Irish Sea, and contains rocky outcrops, a number of islands and long sandy beaches. The site is important for wintering waders and geese, wintering and breeding Phalacrocorax carbo and breeding terns. Most Branta bernicla are from the Canadian/Greenland breeding population of the hrota subspecies.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as Outer Ards Peninsula; renamed in 2007 and adopted SPA boundary. 2000 area, 1016ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation | urban/industrial/transport
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Marine Neritic | 33 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 33 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential & commercial development | Tourism & recreation areas | Ongoing |