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• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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 (1999)	4,400 pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C2

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	4,400 / 2,210 (pairs)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	likely in short term (<4 years)	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (>4 years)	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	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 compre­hensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
-	Priest Island	RSPB Reserve (-)	92
1980	Priest Island	Nature Reserve (Ia)	85
1985	Priest Island	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	100
2014	Wester Ross	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	11
2014	Wester Ross	Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area (IV)	11

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-	Broadleaved deciduous woodland
Shrubland	-	Heathland
Wetlands (inland)	-	Standing freshwater

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Priest Island (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/priest-island-iba-united-kingdom on 24/12/2024.