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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus | LC | breeding (2000) | 232 pairs | B3, C6 |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | n/a | breeding (2000–2002) | 13,035 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 | very poor | very high | low |
| 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 | ||
| Great Black-backed Gull Larus marinus | 146 / 285 (pairs) | 52 | poor | ||
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | 0 / 1,750 (pairs) | 0 | very poor | ||
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | 13,035 / 11,593 (pairs) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Biological resource use | 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 | Unknown | Not assessed | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1996 | Pentland Firth Islands | Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV) | 96 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| 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 24/12/2024.