• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• 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
Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix	LC	resident	1995	120 males	B2
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	resident	1995	10 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	LC	resident	1995	19 breeding pairs	B2, C6

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 (2007) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
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
Some of site covered (10-49%)	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	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
1954	Merrick Kells	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	13
1956	Glentrool Oakwoods	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1960	Clatteringshaws Dam Quarry	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1968	Cairnsmore of Fleet	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1968	Cairnbaber	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1968	Kenmure Holms	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1975	Cairnsmore of Fleet	National Nature Reserve	<1
1975	Loch Doon	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1976	Silver Flowe-Merrick Kells Biosphere Reserve	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	-
1981	Silver Flowe	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	1
1988	Ellergower Moss	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1988	Talnotry Mine	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1995	Merrick Kells	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	13
2000	Galloway Oakwoods	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Forestry plantations	major (>10)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland	minor (<10)
Grassland	Humid grasslands, Mesophile grasslands	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Blanket bogs	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	major (>10)
nature conservation and research	major (>10)
agriculture	minor (<10)
water management	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Galloway Forest Park (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/galloway-forest-park-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.