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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
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	LC	breeding	2000-2001	2,560 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus	LC	breeding	1998	151,000 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	LC	breeding	1999-2004	15,049 breeding pairs	A4i, B1i, B3, C3
Razorbill Alca torda	LC	breeding	1999-2004	5,398 breeding pairs	B3
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	LC	breeding	1999-2004	2 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	LC	resident	1999-2004	4-5 breeding pairs	C6
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	177,257 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1999-2001	15,736 breeding pairs	A4iii, C4

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
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	4,400	2,560	breeding pairs	59	unfavourable
Manx Shearwater Puffinus puffinus	157,000	151,000	breeding pairs	97	favourable
Lesser Black-backed Gull Larus fuscus	18,500	15,049	breeding pairs	82	near favourable
Razorbill Alca torda	2,870	5,398	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus	15	2	breeding pairs	14	not assessed
Red-billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax	5	5	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - seabirds	175,954	177,257	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	21,776	15,736	breeding pairs	73	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium

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	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1940	Marloes Peninsula	Nature Reserve	1
1952	Pembrokeshire Coast	National Park	100
1954	Skomer Island & Middleholm	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	74
1954	Skokholm	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	25
1959	Skomer Island	National Nature Reserve	72
1974	Marloes and Dale	Heritage Coast	100
1990	Skomer	Marine Nature Reserve	5
1997	Pembrokeshire Marine/ Sir Benfro Forol	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	21
1998	Skomer; Skokholm and the Seas off Pembrokeshire / Sgomer, Sgogwm a Moroedd Penfro	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2005	Pembrokeshire Marine / Sir Benfro Forol	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	11
2008	Skokholm	National Nature Reserve	21
2014	Skomer	Marine Conservation Zone	11
2017	West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	12

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Shrubland	Heathland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Water fringe vegetation, Fens, transition mires and springs	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Skokholm and Skomer (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/skokholm-and-skomer-iba-united-kingdom on 22/11/2024.