Ballymacoda (601)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Ballymacoda
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.9000, Longitude: -7.9000
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 5
Area of KBA (km2): 5.78349
Protected area coverage (%): 92.78
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A coastal site situated north-east of Ballymacoda in County Cork and encompassing the Womanagh river estuary, comprising a winding channel flanked by marshy fields, saltmarsh and mudflats. The estuary is sheltered from the open sea by a stabilized shingle-bar and extensive sand beach. Much of the land adjacent to the estuary has been claimed for agricultural use, mainly cattle-grazing and silage, but most fields remain marshy.
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 wetland site, which in the past has regularly held over 20,000 waterfowl, but in recent years numbers have not reached this threshold. Additional species present in nationally important numbers include Pluvialis apricaria (8,850 birds, 1996), Pluvialis squatarola (514 birds, 1995), Vanellus vanellus (3,050 birds, 1996), Calidris alba (131 birds, 1996) and Arenaria interpres (142 birds, 1996).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | not utilised (80%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Marine Neritic | 40 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 40 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Water quality is adversely affected by run-off from slurry spreading. Intertidal shellfish cultivation is a recent development within the site, which may threaten habitat quality.