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• 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
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus	LC	breeding	1999	44,110 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	LC	breeding	2001	1,089 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding	1999-2002	7,492 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Arctic Herring Gull Larus smithsonianus	LC	breeding	1999-2001	10,988 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, C3
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2000	2 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2006	5 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	1999-2000	313 breeding pairs	C6
Sandwich Tern Thalasseus sandvicensis	LC	breeding	2000	300 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica	VU	breeding	1998-1999	72,115 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	2001	4,768 individuals	B1ii, B3, C3
Common Murre Uria aalge	LC	breeding	1999-2001	36,417 individuals	B1ii, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2002	145,356 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2002	27,669 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 (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium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	% overlap with IBA
-	Fidra	RSPB Reserve	7
1952	Bass Rock	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	5
1956	Isle of May	National Nature Reserve	38
1956	Isle of May	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	38
1960	Inchmickery	Nature Reserve	1
1972	Forth Islands	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	15
1972	Inchmickery	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3
1988	Fidra	Nature Reserve	5
1992	Forth Islands	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2001	Isle Of May	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	28
2005	Isle of May	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	19
2011	Forth Islands	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	35

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
tourism/recreation	80

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Firth of Forth Islands (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/firth-of-forth-islands-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.