Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2007 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Razorbill Alca torda | LC | breeding (2000) | 3,798 individuals | B3 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding (2000) | 36,948 breeding pairs | A4iii, C4 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | breeding (2000) | 12,243 breeding pairs | A4iii, C4 |
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.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | favourable | low | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Razorbill Alca torda | 3,798 / 1,985 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 36,948 / 17,095 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | 12,243 / 10,759 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Cape Wrath | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 100 |
| 2011 | Cape Wrath | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 11 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Shrubland | - | Heathland |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| military | - |
| agriculture | - |
| hunting | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cape Wrath (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cape-wrath-iba-united-kingdom on 06/01/2025.