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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
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	LC	resident (2007)	7	B2, 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.

State (condition of the key species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	7 / 10 (-)	70	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
No known threats	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	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	No manage­ment planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1965	Lower Findhorn Woods	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	4

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	major (>10)	Arable land; Forestry plantations
Forest	minor (<10)	Broadleaved deciduous woodland
Grassland	minor (<10)	Humid grasslands
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	major (>10)
agriculture	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Darnaway and Lethen Forest (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/darnaway-and-lethen-forest-iba-united-kingdom on 19/01/2025.