Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
This large site follows the coastline from Falcarragh to Min an Chladaigh in north County Donegal. It encompasses a large area inland, much of which is small, extensively managed farms, and it excludes the estuary at Ballyness Bay.
This site is an important breeding area for
Crex crex and is the closest mainland site to Inishbofin (site 013) and, further out to sea, Tory Island (site 012), two islands which together held 20% of the national population of this species in 1996.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The late cutting of hay-meadows is essential to the survival of
Crex crex at this site. However, the site is threatened by agricultural intensification, including an increase in silage production which leads to earlier cutting, and loss of hay-meadows for conversion to pasture. BirdWatch Ireland, with support from NPW and RSPB, operates a grant scheme in this area, to try to ensure farming practices that continue to favour
Crex crex.
National None
International None
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Falcarragh to Min an Chladaigh (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/falcarragh-to-min-an-chladaigh-iba-ireland on 23/11/2024.
