• 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
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

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
Razorbill Alca torda	1,985	3,798	individuals	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - seabirds	17,095	36,948	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	10,759	12,243	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium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	% overlap with IBA
1974	Cape Wrath	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	100
1998	Cape Wrath	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2000	Cape Wrath	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	100
2011	Cape Wrath	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	11

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

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
military	-
agriculture	-
hunting	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cape Wrath (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cape-wrath-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.