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• Text account
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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
Western Capercaillie Tetrao urogallus	LC	resident	1990-2005	present breeding pairs	C6
Black Grouse Lyrurus tetrix	LC	resident	2006	present breeding pairs	B2
Eurasian Dotterel Eudromias morinellus	LC	breeding	1996	present breeding pairs	B2, C6
Wood Sandpiper Tringa glareola	LC	breeding	2001	present breeding pairs	C6
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	resident	1994	present breeding pairs	B2, C6
Osprey Pandion haliaetus	LC	breeding	2006	present breeding pairs	B2, C6
Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos	LC	resident	2003	min 26 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus	LC	breeding	2004	present breeding pairs	B2, C6
Merlin Falco columbarius	LC	breeding	1992	present breeding pairs	C6
Peregrine Falcon Falco peregrinus	LC	breeding	1990	present breeding pairs	C6
Scottish Crossbill Loxia scotica	LC	resident	2007	abundant breeding pairs	A1, B2, C1, 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
Climate change and severe weather	likely in short term (within 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant 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
-	Abernethy Forest	RSPB Reserve	6
1954	Cairngorms	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	13
1954	Cairngorms	National Nature Reserve	12
1955	Ben Vrackie	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1956	Glen Ey Gorge	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1961	Loch Brandy	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1961	Caenlochan	National Nature Reserve	1
1965	Inchrory	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1967	Glen Tanar	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1971	Eastern Cairngorms	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	8
1971	Caenlochan	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1971	Coyles of Muick	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1972	Beinn A' Ghlo	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3
1972	Abernethy Forest	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3
1972	Glen Callater	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1972	Glas Tulaichean	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1972	Cairnwell	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1972	Morrone Birkwood	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1977	Abernethy	Nature Reserve	5
1979	Glen Tanar	National Nature Reserve	2
1979	Brerachan Meadows	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1980	The Cairngorm Mountains	National Scenic Area	25
1980	Deeside and Lochnagar	National Scenic Area	14
1980	River Tay (Dunkeld)	National Scenic Area	<1
1981	Cairngorm Lochs	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	<1
1984	Northern Corries, Cairngorms	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1984	Cardney Wood	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1988	North Rothiemurchus Pinewood	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1989	River Feshie	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1989	Allt Mor	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1990	Glen Tanar	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2
1991	Red Craig	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1992	Cairngorms	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	23
1992	Pollagach Burn	Site of Special Scientific Interest	<1
1995	Forest of Clunie	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	9
1996	Beinn a' Ghlo	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	3
1996	Glenmore Forest	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
1996	Garbh Choire	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1997	Cairngorms	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	26
1997	Abernethy Forest	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3
1997	Caenlochan	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
1997	Lochnagar	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1
1998	Ballochbuie	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	1
1998	Creag Clunie and The Lion's Face	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1998	Fafernie	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1999	Glen Tanar	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	2
1999	River Spey	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2000	Forest of Clunie	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	9
2000	Ballochbuie	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	1
2001	Caenlochan	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	3
2001	Coyles Of Muick	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2001	River South Esk	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2002	River Dee	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	<1
2003	Cairngorms	National Park	87
2005	Corrie Fee	National Nature Reserve	<1
2007	Abernethy	National Nature Reserve	6
2007	Invereshie and Inshriach	National Nature Reserve	1
2007	Glenmore	National Nature Reserve	1
2010	Cairngorms Massif	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	86

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Forestry plantations	major (>10)
Forest	Broadleaved deciduous woodland, Native coniferous woodland	major (>10)
Grassland	Steppes and dry calcareous grassland, Alpine, subalpine and boreal grassland	major (>10)
Shrubland	Heathland, Scrub	major (>10)
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks)	Inland cliffs	minor (<10)
Wetlands (inland)	Blanket bogs, Fens, transition mires and springs, Rivers and streams, Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	-
hunting	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Grampian Mountains (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/grampian-mountains-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.