Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata | LC | breeding (1995) | 80 pairs | B2, C6 |
| Arctic Loon Gavia arctica | LC | breeding (1995) | 12 pairs | C6 |
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | LC | resident (2004) | 1,602 pairs | B3, C6 |
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | NT | breeding (2004) | 4,386 pairs | B1i, C2, C6 |
| Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos | LC | resident (2003) | 7 pairs | B2, C6 |
| Merlin Falco columbarius | LC | resident (2004) | 29 pairs | C6 |
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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | moderate | medium | medium |
| 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 | ||
| Red-throated Loon Gavia stellata | 80 / 57 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Arctic Loon Gavia arctica | 10 / 12 (pairs) | 84 | moderate | ||
| Eurasian Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria | 1,602 / 1,800 (pairs) | 89 | moderate | ||
| Dunlin Calidris alpina | 4,386 / 3,650 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Golden Eagle Aquila chrysaetos | 7 / 6 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Merlin Falco columbarius | 29 / 20 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | medium |
| 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 | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Achmore Bog | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 1 |
| 1974 | Loch Laxavat Ard and Loch Laxavat Iorach | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | <1 |
| 1974 | Loch Scarrasdale Valley Bog | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | <1 |
| 1974 | Loch nan Eilean Valley Bog | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | <1 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | major (>10) | Fens, transition mires and springs; Standing freshwater; Blanket bogs |
| Grassland | minor (<10) | |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | minor (<10) | Scree & boulders |
| Shrubland | minor (<10) | Heathland; Scrub |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | major (>10) |
| fisheries/aquaculture | minor (<10) |
| forestry | minor (<10) |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lewis Peatlands (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lewis-peatlands-iba-united-kingdom on 23/12/2024.