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

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
Great Skua Catharacta skua	LC	breeding	2002	215 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B3, C3

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.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Great Skua Catharacta skua	155	215	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%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	Unknown	Unknown	negligible

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1980	Shetland	National Scenic Area	24

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		-
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers and streams	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	100

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sandwick and Clift Hills (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sandwick-and-clift-hills-iba-united-kingdom on 24/11/2024.