Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis | LC | winter (2003–2005) | 1,963–3,105 birds | B1i, C2, C6 |
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | NT | breeding (2009) | 38 pairs | C6 |
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | LC | breeding (2000) | 27 pairs | C6 |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | LC | breeding (2000) | 182 pairs | C6 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2009 | moderate | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis | 2,525 / 1,900 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | 38 / 8 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Mew Gull Larus canus | 47 / 10 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Little Tern Sternula albifrons | 27 / 33 (pairs) | 82 | moderate | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | likely in short term (<4 years) | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Inishkea Islands | Wildfowl Sanctuary (-) | - |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 100 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Inishkea Islands (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/inishkea-islands-iba-ireland on 24/12/2024.