Current view: Text account
Site description (2009 baseline):
Site location and context
The Slieve Beagh site is an upland area of blanket bog in northern Monaghan comprising part of a cross-border site with similar habitat in Northern Ireland (Counties Tyrone and Fermanagh). The bog is mostly cutover and there are wet and dry heaths with well developed mountain blanket bog occurring at the higher altitudes. Almost half of the site is afforested with plantations including first and second rotation plantations, with pre-thicket and post-thicket stands and also extensive areas of clear-fell. The remainder of the site is rough or marginal grassland.
The site is an important area for
Circus cyaneus; a recent survey reported 4 pairs, which represents over 2.5% of the national total (Barton et al. 2006). A further 10 pairs are present in the adjacent Northern Ireland part of the site. The combination of forestry and open areas provides optimum conditions for these birds. The early stages of new and second-rotation conifer plantations are the preferred nesting sites, and the young conifer plantations, heath and bog provide excellent foraging grounds for these rare birds, which are listed on Annex I of the E.U. Birds Directive. In Ireland, small birds and small mammals appear to be the most frequently taken prey.
The site also supports a breeding population of Annex I listed
Falco columbianus (population size likely to exceed 5 pairs) and Red-listed
Lagopus lagopus is found on the unplanted areas of bog and heath.
Numenius arquata is also present and the site supports a winter roost of
Anser albifrons flavirostris.
Falco peregrinus, another E.U. Birds Directive Annex I species, breeds in the adjacent Northern Ireland part of the site, and is occasionally seen over the site.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The reduction and fragmentation of the foraging habitat caused by further afforestation is the main threat to the survival of the
Circus cyaneus population.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Slieve Beagh (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/slieve-beagh-iba-ireland on 24/11/2024.
