UK218
North Uist Machair and Islands


Country/territory: United Kingdom

IBA criteria met: A1, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C3, C6 (2000)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here

Area: 6,900 ha

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

Site description (2000 baseline)
A complex of islands and coastal machair, on the west coast of North Uist.

First identified in 1989 as four separate IBAs (Baleshare and Kirkibost; Balranald; West Sound of Harris; Kilpheder to Smerclate, part only); 1992 combined and renamed to North Uist Machair and Islands. Descriptive text and bird data refer to the 2000 Inventory.

Key biodiversity
The IBA is important for both breeding waders and wintering geese and waders. It is also nationally important for breeding Anas clypeata (13 pairs, 1991-1993, 1%), and for wintering Calidris alba (415 birds, 1993, 2%) and Calidris maritima (365 birds, 1993, 2%). Anser anser are from the Hebridean population, while Branta leucopsis are from the Greenland breeding population.


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Uist Machair and Islands. Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-uist-machair-and-islands-iba-united-kingdom on 19/03/2024.