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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	2001	663 breeding pairs	B3
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	2001	1,254 breeding pairs	C6
Great Skua Catharacta skua	LC	breeding	2001	143 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B3, C3
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica	VU	breeding	2000	40,000 breeding pairs	B1ii, B2, C3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	2000	3,599 individuals	B3
Common Murre Uria aalge	LC	breeding	1999	39,257 individuals	B1ii, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	90,576 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	10,210 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
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Gulosus aristotelis	European Shag	1070	663	breeding pairs	62	unfavourable
Sterna paradisaea	Arctic Tern	1200	818	breeding pairs	69	unfavourable
Catharacta skua	Great Skua	130	143	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Fratercula arctica	Atlantic Puffin	8700	40000	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Alca torda	Razorbill	3060	3599	individuals	100	favourable
Uria aalge	Common Murre	37612	39257	individuals	100	favourable
Species group - seabirds	A4iii	72430	90576	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	21911	10210	breeding pairs	47	unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Not assessed	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Shetland	National Scenic Area	41,817	protected area contains site	0
Fair Isle	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	6,825	protected area contains site	559
Fair Isle	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Fair Isle	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	561	protected area overlaps with site	559
Fair Isle	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	561	protected area overlaps with site	559
Fair Isle	Demonstration and Research Marine Protected Area	15,684	protected area overlaps with site	0

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Grassland		-
Coastline	Sea cliffs and rocky shores	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Fair Isle. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 08/08/2022.