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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
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	LC	breeding	2001	377 breeding pairs	B2
Leach's Storm-petrel Hydrobates leucorhous	VU	breeding	1998	1,137 breeding pairs	B1ii, B2, C2, C6
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus	LC	breeding	1998	10,703 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus	LC	breeding	1998	983 breeding pairs	B3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	1998	1,625 individuals	B3
Common Murre Uria aalge	LC	breeding	1998	31,374 individuals	B1ii, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1998-2001	43,314 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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus	10,400	10,703	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus	735	983	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Razorbill Alca torda	1,550	1,625	individuals	100	favourable
Common Murre Uria aalge	43,134	31,374	individuals	73	near favourable
A4iii Species group - seabirds	55,208	43,314	breeding pairs	79	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1956	Rona and Sula Sgeir	National Nature Reserve	100
1960	North Rona and Sula Sgeir	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	94
1996	North Rona	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	91
2005	North Rona	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	20
2006	North Rona and Sula Sgeir	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2011	North Rona and Sula Sgeir	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	23

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		85
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		15

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	major (>10)
not utilised	minor (<10)

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: North Rona and Sula Sgeir (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/north-rona-and-sula-sgeir-iba-united-kingdom on 22/11/2024.