Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
The site comprises three islands, Inishbofin, Inishdooey and Inishbeg and is located 2 km off the Donegal coast, 5 km north-west of Falcarragh. The largest island, Inishbofin, comprises mainly dry grassland which, although farmed in the past, is now largely abandoned. In the previous European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989) the site included just one island, but the nearby islands of Inishdooey and Inishbeg, together with the surrounding waters, have now been added. Inishbofin is inhabited during the summer months.
Together with Tory Island (site 012), these islands held 20% of the national population of
Crex crex in 1996 (numbers are calling males, 1995-1996). The site was also nationally important for breeding terns
Sterna. Recently only
Sterna paradisaea has bred (72 pairs, 1995).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This site is threatened mainly by agricultural abandonment.
Crex crex is highly sensitive to changes in agricultural practice, and the late cutting of hay-meadows is essential to its survival at the site. However, most of the land is managed for conservation by BirdWatch Ireland, with support from NPW and RSPB, to maintain hay-meadows, the late cutting of hay and early cover.
National None
International High604 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Inishbofin, Inishdooey and Inishbeg, 604 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Inishbofin, Inisdooey and Inisbeg (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/inishbofin-inisdooey-and-inisbeg-iba-ireland on 23/11/2024.
