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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
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	LC	breeding	2007	4 breeding pairs	C7

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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Northern Pintail Anas acuta	7	4	breeding pairs	58	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Pollution	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

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	The Loons and Loch of Banks	RSPB Reserve	51
1973	Loch of Isbister and the Loons	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	70
1979	The Loons & Loch Of Banks	Nature Reserve	44
1989	Loch of Banks	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	29
2000	Loch Of Isbister	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	71

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	100

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Loch of Isbister (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/loch-of-isbister-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.