Durnesh Lough (557)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Durnesh Lough
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.5667, Longitude: -8.2000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 0.69637
Protected area coverage (%): 99.96
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large freshwater lake adjacent to Donegal Bay and situated 10 km north of Ballyshannon in County Donegal. The lake is separated from the sea by sand-dunes, is fringed by extensive reedbeds and large areas of wet grassland, and is surrounded by drumlins.
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.
Additional biodiversity: This is an important wintering site for waterfowl, particularly swans Cygnus. Formerly, Aythya marila was also recorded in internationally important numbers. The fields around Durnesh Lough are an alternative feeding site for Anser albifrons flavirostris from Pettigo plateau (site 027).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | hunting (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 90 | |
| Grassland | 10 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Wildfowling causes disturbance to birds, and agricultural intensification of surrounding farmland may threaten water quality due to nutrient pollution.