The importance of wetlands in Wales, including Carmarthenshire, for the survival of migratory birds has been highlighted in a joint report reporting the findings of a wetland bird survey.

The Wetland Bird Survey aims to monitor all non-breeding birds in the UK to provide data on which to base future conservation of their populations and habitats. It looks at the size of non-breeding waterbird populations, trends in their numbers and distribution and assesses the importance of individual sites for these birds.

Carmarthen Bay with over 48,000 birds and Burry Inlet with over 47,000 birds are amongst the top sites in Wales for some species of international importance that overwinter along our coast. The continued protection of these sites is vital to ensure they continue to support populations of these species as the effects of climate change become more pronounced.

Carmarthen Bay hosts important populations of common scoter and Sanderling breed in the high Arctic and pass through here from Siberia and Greenland on their wintering sites further south in Europe.

The Burry Inlet supports populations of Knot, oyster catcher, pintail duck and black-tailed godwit.

Both sites are designated partly because of the important numbers of these birds species they support.