• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2007 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	LC	breeding	1999	1,131 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla	VU	breeding	1999-2000	49,776 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle	LC	breeding	1999-2000	1,078 individuals	B1ii, B2, C3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	1999-2000	19,095 individuals	A4ii, B1ii, B3, C3
Common Murre Uria aalge	LC	breeding	1999-2000	214,399 individuals	A4ii, B1ii, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	198,061 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	54,739 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2007) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2007. The most recent assessment (2007) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	2,540	1,131	breeding pairs	45	unfavourable
Black-legged Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla	40,800	49,776	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus	875	183	breeding pairs	21	very unfavourable
Larus argentatus	9,550	3,506	breeding pairs	37	very unfavourable
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle	1,450	1,078	individuals	75	near favourable
Razorbill Alca torda	16,567	19,095	individuals	100	favourable
Common Murre Uria aalge	129,850	214,399	individuals	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - seabirds	127,039	198,061	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	54,035	54,739	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Unknown	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1962	Duncansby Head	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1978	Berriedale Cliffs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	23
1979	Stroma	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	14
1979	Red Point Coast	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	17
1979	Dunnet Head	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	6
1979	Ousdale Burn	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1984	Holborn Head	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	13
1985	Dunbeath to Sgaps Geo	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	15
1985	Craig Hammel to Sgaps Geo	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	7
1985	Castle of Old Wick to Craig Hammel	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1994	North Caithness Cliffs	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	56
1997	East Caithness Cliffs	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	44
2000	East Caithness Cliffs	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	44
2008	Dunnet Head	Nature Reserve	<1
2011	East Caithness Cliffs	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	24
2011	North Caithness Cliffs	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	13
2014	East Caithness Cliffs	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	24
2014	East Caithness Cliffs	Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area	24

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Shrubland	Heathland	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Caithness Cliffs (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/caithness-cliffs-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.