Severn Estuary Waterbird High Tide Roost Sites and Habitat Characterization

A spatial dataset identifying wintering waterbird high tide roost sites across the Severn Estuary SSSI/SPA, completed in four phases from Brean Down to Gloucestershire. It characterizes habitat and waterbird composition using WeBS core count data, counter interviews, and site visits, providing more detailed information than standard BTO data. The dataset was created by Natural England and last updated on 2026-07-13.

Use Cases

• Assess potential adverse effects of plans or projects on waterbird species based on identified roost locations.
• Map and characterize wetland habitats used by wintering waterbirds for high tide roosting.
• Integrate detailed roost site data with broader WeBS (Wetland Bird Survey) datasets for enhanced ecological analysis.

Strengths

• Data collection integrated multiple sources: WeBS core count data, counter interviews, and site visits.
• Provides more detailed roost site information than generally available from standard BTO WeBS data.
• Covers the extensive Severn Estuary SSSI/SPA area across four completed survey phases.

Limitations

• Row count and specific column definitions are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Information gathered from WeBS core count data, interviews with WeBS counters, and site visits.

Time Range

Covers wintering periods (specific years not stated).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 13:04:11.523273; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Severn Estuary SSSI/SPA, UK, spanning from Brean Down to Gloucestershire, including Bridgwater Bay and Steart Marshes.