The estuary is a
Special Protection Area and
SSSI. Parts of the extent designated as
Exe Estuary SSSI are owned by the
Crown Estate and parts are owned by the
RSPB. It is also a
Ramsar site. The Exe Estuary is a site of international importance for
wading birds, which feed on the estuary mudflats at low tide, and roost at high tide at the adjacent
Dawlish Warren SSSI and
Bowling Green Marsh. The
RSPB has two
nature reserves adjoining the estuary, at
Bowling Green Marsh and
Exminster Marshes. Over 10,000 wildfowl and 20,000 waders winter on the estuary. These include
dark-bellied brent goose (
Branta bernicla),
Eurasian wigeon (
Anas penelope),
ringed plover (
Charadius hiaticula),
black-tailed godwit (
Limosa limosa), and
pied avocet (
Recurvirostra avosetta). The Exminster Marshes, a series of fields drained by dykes and ditches, carry several plants rare in
Devon including
parsley, water dropwort (
Oenanthe lachenalii), flowering rush (
Butomus umbellatus) and frogbit (
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae). Dragonflies are also supported, such as the
ruddy darter (
Sympetrum sanguineum) and
hairy dragonfly (
Brachytron pratense). The marshes are bounded by the Exeter Canal. Both are fringed by beds of common reed
Phragmites australis, providing important habitat for
Old World warblers. Burrowing invertebrates are found in the sandbanks and mudflats. These include
lugworm (
Arenicola marina),
peppery furrow shell (
Scrobicularia plana), tellins
Macoma spp., common cockle (
Cerastoderma edule),
pod razor (
Ensis siliqua), sea potato (
Echinocardium cordatum), and masked crab (
Corystes cassivelaunus). Beds of
blue mussels (
Mytilus edulis) are food for
Eurasian oystercatchers (
Haematopus ostralegus). The estuary is the only British location for the
polychaete worm
Ophelia bicornia. ==Access and recreation==