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• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	21 / 265 (birds)	8	very poor
Greylag Goose Anser anser	1,107 / 12,200 (birds)	10	very poor
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus	2,563 / 80 (birds)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in short term (<4 years)	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow decline (1–10% 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity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 (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1971	Loch of Skene	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	100

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

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 26/12/2024.