Data Zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis | LC | winter | 1989-1994 | 500 individuals | B1i, B2, C2 |
| Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | LC | breeding | 2002 | 13 breeding pairs | B2, C6 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding | 1999-2000 | 20,882 breeding pairs | A4iii, C4 |
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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2007 | favourable | medium | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Reference | Actual | Units | % remaining | Result |
| Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 10 | 13 | breeding pairs | 100 | favourable |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 10,983 | 20,882 | breeding pairs | 100 | favourable |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity |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 | North Colonsay | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) | 90 |
| 1984 | West Colonsay Seabird Cliffs | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) | 3 |
| 1998 | North Colonsay and Western Cliffs | Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) | 100 |
| 2005 | Colonsay | Nature Reserve | 3 |
| 2011 | North Colonsay and Western Cliffs | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) | 14 |
| Habitat1 | Habitat detail | % of IBA |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land | - |
| Forest | Broadleaved deciduous woodland | - |
| Grassland | Mesophile grasslands, Machair | - |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Marine Intertidal | - | |
| Shrubland | Heathland | - |
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing freshwater, Blanket bogs | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Colonsay and Western Cliffs (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-colonsay-and-western-cliffs-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.