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

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	2000	618 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C2, C6
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	breeding	1999	610 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	1999	89 breeding pairs	C6
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle	LC	breeding	1998	83 individuals	B2

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2009) may differ.

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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Larus argentatus	150	16	nests	11	not assessed
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	180	618	nests	100	favourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	108	610	nests	100	favourable
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	2	89	nests	100	not assessed
Black Guillemot Cepphus grylle	40	83	individuals	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low

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	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	% overlap with IBA
1986	Rockabill SPA	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
1988	Rockabill Island	Refuge for Fauna	100
2011	Rockabill to Dalkey Island SAC	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	93

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		40
Marine Neritic		30
Artificial/Terrestrial	Other urban and industrial areas	20
Shrubland	Scrub	10

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	80
urban/industrial/transport	20

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Rockabill (Ireland). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/rockabill-iba-ireland on 22/11/2024.