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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis | LC | winter (1989–1994) | 500 birds | B1i, B2, C2 |
| Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | LC | breeding (2002) | 13 pairs | B2, C6 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding (1999–2000) | 20,882 pairs | A4iii, C4 |
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 | good | 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-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax | 13 / 10 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 20,882 / 10,983 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | 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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity |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 | North Colonsay | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 90 |
| 1984 | West Colonsay Seabird Cliffs | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 3 |
| 2005 | Colonsay | Nature Reserve (IV) | 3 |
| 2011 | North Colonsay and Western Cliffs | Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA) | 14 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| 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 23/12/2024.