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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2007

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	LC	breeding	2000	1,207 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2000	1 breeding pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2000	147 breeding pairs	C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	2007	117 breeding pairs	C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	2000	1,526 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	2007	2,256 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	1,950 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2007	1,413 breeding pairs	C2, C6
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica	VU	breeding	2003	55,674 breeding pairs	B1ii, B2, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	2000-2003	77,163 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	2000-2003	11,401 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and criteria please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat Level 1	Threat Level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
No known threats	no known threats	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Gulosus aristotelis	European Shag	1020	1207	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Larus fuscus	Lesser Black-backed Gull	1380	665	breeding pairs	49	unfavourable
Sterna dougallii	Roseate Tern	2	0	breeding pairs	0	not assessed
Sterna hirundo	Common Tern	250	117	breeding pairs	47	unfavourable
Sterna paradisaea	Arctic Tern	3070	2256	breeding pairs	74	near favourable
Thalasseus sandvicensis	Sandwich Tern	1950	1413	breeding pairs	73	near favourable
Fratercula arctica	Atlantic Puffin	34700	55674	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Species group - seabirds	A4iii	54182	77163	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	14155	11401	breeding pairs	81	near favourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	high

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Northumberland Marine	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	88,498	protected area overlaps with site	0
Northumberland Coast	Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty	13,345	protected area overlaps with site	101
North Northumberland	Heritage Coast	28,929	protected area contains site	101
Farne Islands (NT)	Reserve	101	is identical to site	101
Farne Islands	National Nature Reserve	100	protected area overlaps with site	101
Farne Islands	Nature Reserve	36	protected area overlaps with site	0
Farne Islands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	101	protected area overlaps with site	101
Farne Islands	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	101	is identical to site	101
Berwickshire And North Northumberland Coast	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	65,226	protected area contains site	0
Berwickshire and North Northumberland Coast	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area contains site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Grassland	Mesophile grasslands	-
Coastline	Sea cliffs and rocky shores, Rock stacks and islets	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
nature conservation and research	-

For further information about the land use classification please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Farne Islands. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 29/03/2023.