Protected species and habitats as part of the Humber Estuary European Marine Site designations

The Humber is one of the 10 most important estuaries in Europe for birds. It supports internationally important populations of seven species that are listed in Annex I of the Birds Directive. 

These are:

• Marsh Harrier

• Avocet

• Little Tern

• Bittern

• Hen Harrier

• Golden Plover

• Bar-tailed Godwit

These species are in danger of extinction, rare or vulnerable, and their habitat is subject to special conservation measures to ensure their survival and reproduction. These seven species occur on the Humber at levels over 1% of the national population and so meet the Special Protection Area (SPA) qualifying criteria. The Humber Estuary provides around 140,000 waterfowl with safe feeding and roosting grounds over the winter and during spring and autumn migrations. In summer it supports several important breeding populations of scarce or declining species such as bittern, marsh harrier and avocet. 

For more information on these species, including threats and management, please download the breeding bird fact sheet.

The Humber Estuary plays an international role in bird migration and is one of the most important wetland sites in the UK. It provides a safe feeding and roosting area for species moving from breeding sites in the arctic and sub-arctic to wintering grounds in southern Europe and Africa, as well as for species which use the Humber as an overwintering site. Waders and waterfowl utilise the extensive and highly productive intertidal mudflats of the estuary as a source of food and a roost site.  

In ecological terms, the value of the Humber is for the massive number of wildfowl and waders which regularly use the mudflats and saltmarsh during passage and for overwintering. Numbers can reach an annual peak of up to 140,000.

For more information on wintering and passage birds, including threats and management, please download the wintering and passage bird fact sheet.

Lamprey are a member of the jawless fishes Petromyzonidae. Lamprey are vertebrates with a distinct mouth with no lower jaw, instead it is surrounded by a round sucker-like disc within which the adults have strong, rasping teeth. Sea lamprey are the largest and least common of the three lamprey species found in the UK; reaching a length of 120cm and weight of 2.5kg.

The river and sea lamprey are anadromous species which spawns in freshwater but complete part of their lifestyle in estuaries or at sea. Estuaries are considered important migratory routes with near-shore coastal margins being important migratory and feeding grounds.

For more information on river and sea lamprey, including threats and management, please download the river and sea lamprey fact sheet.

Grey seals are the larger more abundant of the two species found in British Waters. In general they have a coastal distribution although they are known to travel considerable distances whilst feeding. The main haul out site used by grey seals on the Lincolnshire coast is Donna Nook. The Donna Nook population is thought to have originally been an overspill from the Farne Island breeding colonies and small breeding groups began to establish at Donna Nook in the late 1960s.

Donna Nook supports one of the largest grey seal breeding colonies in England with hundreds of new pups born every year. The 2023 season saw 2207 grey seal pups born at Donna Nook. Grey seals are amongst the rarest seals in the world and the UK population is globally significant.

For more information on grey seals, including threats and management, please download the grey seal fact sheet.