Tamar Estuaries Complex (2610)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Tamar Estuaries Complex
Central coordinates: Latitude: 50.4245, Longitude: -4.2028
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 19.45192
Protected area coverage (%): 99.79
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: The Tamar estuary system is a large marine inlet on the English Channel coast, and includes the estuaries of the Rivers Tamar, Lynher and Tavy, which collectively drain an extensive part of Devon and Cornwall. The site comprises extensive mudflats and areas of saltmarsh, freshwater reedmarsh Phragmites, and fen. The IBA is important for wintering waders and waterbirds.
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 Tamar Complex; renamed in 2007. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 | |
| Forest | 5 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 5 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Marine Neritic | 40 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 40 |