Severn Estuary Waterbird High Tide Roost Sites and Habitat Characteristics

Natural England's spatial dataset identifies and characterizes wintering waterbird high tide roost sites along the Severn Estuary, from Brean Down to Clevedon. The data was compiled in four phases using WeBS core count data from the BTO, counter interviews, and site visits. This study provides more detailed information than standard BTO WeBS data to assess potential impacts of development plans on waterbird species.

Use Cases

• Impact assessment for development projects based on identified roost site locations and species composition.
• Habitat suitability modeling for waterbirds based on characterized roost site habitats.
• Conservation zone planning based on spatial distribution of high tide roost sites.
• Population trend analysis for wintering waterbirds based on integrated WeBS count data and site-specific observations.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple data sources: BTO WeBS core counts, counter interviews, and site visits.
• Provides more detailed roost site information than standard BTO-collected WeBS data.
• Spatial dataset identifies specific roost locations for impact assessment.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific Severn Estuary study area.

Provenance

Source

Natural England, incorporating data from the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO).

Collection Method

Data collected from WeBS core count data, interviews with WeBS counters, and site visits.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 13:04:07.933345; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Severn Estuary, specifically the Brean Down to Clevedon stretch (Phase 1), with other phases covering Clevedon to Oldbury and Bridgwater Bay.