River Spey - Insh Marshes (2586)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: River Spey - Insh Marshes
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.0953, Longitude: -3.9772
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 220 to 290
Area of KBA (km2): 11.59967
Protected area coverage (%): 99.21
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Insh marshes form the largest single-unit flood-plain mire of the poor-fen type in Britain. They are also the most northerly, the site lying within the flat valley floor of the River Spey between Kincraig and Kingussie. The IBA supports diverse breeding and wintering bird communities.
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; boundary reduced to that of the SPA in 2007. 2000 area, 1540ha. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (50%) | fisheries/aquaculture | nature conservation and research (80%) | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 50 | |
| Grassland | 50 |