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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 at site	IBA criteria triggered
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	LC	breeding	2000-2001	2,560 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus	LC	breeding	1998	151,000 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding	1999-2004	15,049 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	1999-2004	5,398 breeding pairs	B3
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	breeding	1999-2004	2 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	LC	resident	1999-2004	4-5 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	177,257 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	15,736 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4

Note: The current IUCN Red List category may differ from the category that was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment.

For more information about the IBA criteria, please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
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
Energy production and mining	renewable energy	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium

Condition of the site (state), by species
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Hydrobates pelagicus	European Storm-petrel	4400	2560	breeding pairs	59	unfavourable
Puffinus puffinus	Manx Shearwater	157000	151000	breeding pairs	97	favourable
Larus fuscus	Lesser Black-backed Gull	18500	15049	breeding pairs	82	near favourable
Alca torda	Razorbill	2870	5398	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Asio flammeus	Short-eared Owl	15	2	breeding pairs	14	not assessed
Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	Red-billed Chough	5	5	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Species group - seabirds	A4iii	175954	177257	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Species group - waterbirds	A4iii	21776	15736	breeding pairs	73	near favourable

Conservation actions taken at the site (response)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	737,614	protected area overlaps with site	0
Skomer; Skokholm and the Seas off Pembrokeshire / Sgomer, Sgogwm a Moroedd Penfro	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	166,801	protected area contains site	422
Skomer Island & Middleholm	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	332	protected area overlaps with site	316
Skomer Island	National Nature Reserve	315	protected area overlaps with site	307
Skomer	Marine Nature Reserve	1,318	protected area overlaps with site	22
Skomer	Marine Conservation Zone	1,324	protected area overlaps with site	0
Skokholm	National Nature Reserve	98	protected area overlaps with site	0
Skokholm	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	116	protected area overlaps with site	106
Pembrokeshire Marine/ Sir Benfro Forol	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	138,038	protected area overlaps with site	91
Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	0	protected area overlaps with site	0
Pembrokeshire Coast	National Park	61,476	protected area overlaps with site	427
Marloes Peninsula	Nature Reserve	95	protected area overlaps with site	0
Marloes and Dale	Heritage Coast	9	protected area contains site	427

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Grassland		-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For further information about the IUCN habitat classification, please click here.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Skokholm and Skomer. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/2594 on 03/06/2023.