River Suck callows: Shannon Bridge-Castlecoote (624)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: River Suck callows: Shannon Bridge-Castlecoote
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.4000, Longitude: -8.1667
System: freshwater, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 33 to 45
Area of KBA (km2): 32.58537
Protected area coverage (%): 98.68
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A long, sinuous stretch of semi-natural, lowland wet grassland (callows) alongside the River Suck, in Counties Galway and Roscommon. This site extends for 50 km from Castlecoote in the north to Shannonbridge in the south where it meets the River Shannon callows (site 131). The callows are seasonally flooded between October and April. The area is flanked by raised bogs, many of which have been converted to agricultural use following peat extraction.
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 site for wintering waterfowl. Additional species wintering in numbers of national importance include Anas penelope (1,351 birds, 1995) and Vanellus vanellus (3,282 birds, 1995). Crex crex was breeding until recently (1 pair, 1993).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (40%) | fisheries/aquaculture (60%) | hunting (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 20 | |
| Wetlands(Inland) | 60 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Crex crex is highly sensitive to changes in farming practice. Agricultural intensification is likely to have caused the decline and eventual loss of breeding Crex crex at this site. Water and habitat quality are threatened by siltation due to mechanical peat extraction in surrounding areas. Wildfowling is likely to cause disturbance to wintering birds.