Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2009 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | LC | breeding (2000) | 618 pairs | B1i, B2, C2, C6 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | breeding (1999) | 610 pairs | B1i, C2, C6 |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | LC | breeding (1999) | 89 pairs | C6 |
| Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle | LC | breeding (1998) | 83 birds | B2 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2009. The most recent assessment (2009) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2009 | good | high | 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 | ||
| Larus argentatus | 16 / 150 (nests) | 11 | not assessed | ||
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | 618 / 180 (nests) | 100 | good | ||
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | 610 / 108 (nests) | 100 | good | ||
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | 89 / 2 (nests) | 100 | not assessed | ||
| Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle | 83 / 40 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | likely in short term (<4 years) | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Rockabill Island | Refuge for Fauna (IV) | 100 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 40 | |
| Marine Neritic | 30 | |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 20 | Other urban and industrial areas |
| Shrubland | 10 | Scrub |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 80 |
| urban/industrial/transport | 20 |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rockabill (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rockabill-iba-ireland on 23/12/2024.