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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus | LC | breeding (2000) | 1,648 breeding pairs | B1i, B3, C3 |
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 | unfavourable | high | low |
| 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 | ||
| Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus | 1,648 / 3,540 (breeding pairs) | 47 | unfavourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | whole population/area (>90%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Energy production and mining | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| 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 | Unknown | Unknown | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Aberarth-carreg Wylan | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 100 |
| 2005 | Cardigan Bay / Bae Ceredigion | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 38 |
| 2017 | West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol | Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) (UA) | 33 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | - | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| not utilised | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cardigan Island (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cardigan-island-iba-united-kingdom on 07/01/2025.