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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
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	2001-2006	1,107 individuals	B1i, C3
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	LC	winter	2001-2006	2,563 individuals	B1i, C3
Mew Gull Larus canus	LC	winter	1992	45,000 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3

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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	265	21	individuals	8	very unfavourable
Greylag Goose Anser anser	12,200	1,107	individuals	10	very unfavourable
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	80	2,563	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium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
1971	Loch of Skene	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	100
1986	Loch of Skene	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100
1995	Loch of Skene	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation	major (>10)
Grassland	Humid grasslands	minor (<10)
Shrubland	Scrub	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
tourism/recreation	100
hunting	100

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