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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus | LC | breeding | 2000 | 232 breeding pairs | B3, C6 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding | 2000-2002 | 13,035 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 | very unfavourable | very high | low |
| 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 |
| Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus | 285 | 146 | breeding pairs | 52 | unfavourable |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | 1,750 | 0 | breeding pairs | 0 | very unfavourable |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 11,593 | 13,035 | breeding pairs | 100 | 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%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | very high |
| Biological resource use | 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 | Unknown | Not assessed | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation | % overlap with IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Pentland Firth Islands | Special Protection Area (Birds Directive) | 98 |
| 1996 | Pentland Firth Islands | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) | 96 |
| Habitat1 | Habitat detail | % of IBA |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | - | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Shrubland | Heathland | - |
| Wetlands (inland) | Standing freshwater | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| not utilised | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Pentland Firth Islands (United Kingdom). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/pentland-firth-islands-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.