Drumcliff Bay and Ballintemple (560)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Drumcliff Bay and Ballintemple
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.3333, Longitude: -8.5500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 10
Area of KBA (km2): 25.88105
Protected area coverage (%): 80.86
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Drumcliff Bay is the most northern section of Sligo Bay's three estuaries. The main habitats are extensive mud- and sandflats together with goose-feeding fields at Ballintemple, Lissadell and Balgilgan. The site previously included goose-feeding fields at Lissadell and has been considerably enlarged since the previous pan-European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989) to include Drumcliff Bay itself. There is intertidal shellfish cultivation (aquaculture).
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: The site supports large numbers of wintering wildfowl and waders. In particular, the improved grassland at Ballintemple and Lissadell provides feeding habitat for internationally important numbers of Branta leucopsis, as well as Anser albifrons flavirostris and Cygnus cygnus. Wintering waders include nationally important numbers of Tringa totanus (593 birds, 1995).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | fisheries/aquaculture (20%) | nature conservation and research (5%) | not utilised (60%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Marine Neritic | 40 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 40 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: NPW manage Balgilgan/Lissadell Nature Reserve for the geese (Anser/Branta). Intertidal shellfish cultivation may threaten habitat quality. Feeding fields for geese at Ballintemple are not protected. The site overlaps with a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Lissadell and Drumcliff Bay; area not known).