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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus | LC | breeding (2000–2002) | 4,634 breeding pairs | A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3 |
| Mediterranean Gull Larus melanocephalus | LC | breeding (2002) | 1 breeding pairs | C6 |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | LC | breeding (2000) | 650 breeding pairs | C6 |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | LC | breeding (2006) | 975 breeding pairs | C6 |
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 | high | 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 | ||
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | 975 / 310 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | OUTER ARDS | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | 48 |
| 2004 | COPELAND ISLANDS | Area of Special Scientific Interest (NI) (IV) | 88 |
| 2017 | North Channel | Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive) (UA) | 14 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Copeland Islands (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/copeland-islands-iba-united-kingdom on 08/01/2025.