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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
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	winter	1997-2003	13,397 individuals	A4i, B1i, B2, C2, C6
Greater White-fronted Goose Anser albifrons	LC	winter	1999-2003	1,395 individuals	B1i, C2, C3

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
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Cygnus cygnus	Whooper Swan	135	13	individuals	10	very unfavourable
Branta leucopsis	Barnacle Goose	11800	13397	individuals	100	favourable
Anser albifrons	Greater White-fronted Goose	940	1395	individuals	100	favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	23171	7554	individuals	33	very unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Rinns of Islay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	8,792	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Rinns of Islay	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	9,434	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Rinns Of Islay	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1,085	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Loch Gruinart/Ardnave	RSPB Reserve	2,780	protected area overlaps with site	1,470
Loch Gruinart & Ardnave	Nature Reserve	2,781	protected area overlaps with site	0
Gruinart Flats; Islay	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3,256	is identical to site	3,244
Gruinart Flats, Islay	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	3,261	protected area overlaps with site	3,244
Gruinart Flats, Islay	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Gruinart Flats	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3,262	protected area overlaps with site	3,170

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Mixed woodland	-
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Grassland	Humid grasslands, Mesophile grasslands	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Blanket bogs	-
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Marine Intertidal		-
Marine Neritic		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
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: Gruinart Flats. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/03/2023.