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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	2001	309 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus	LC	breeding	1998	5,137 breeding pairs	A4ii, B1ii, B2, C3
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	LC	breeding	1998	724 breeding pairs	B3
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica	VU	breeding	1998	59,471 breeding pairs	B1ii, B2, C3
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	breeding	1998-2001	72,717 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	1,000	309	breeding pairs	31	very unfavourable
Northern Gannet Morus bassanus	4,890	5,137	breeding pairs	100	favourable
European Shag Gulosus aristotelis	700	724	breeding pairs	100	favourable
Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica	43,400	59,471	breeding pairs	100	favourable
A4iii Species group - seabirds	63,788	72,717	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%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

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90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1962	Sule Stack	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	16
1987	Sule Skerry	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	84
1994	Sule Skerry and Sule Stack	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	100
2011	Sule Skerry and Sule Stack	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	37

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		100

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
not utilised	95
other	5

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Sule Skerry and Sule Stack (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/sule-skerry-and-sule-stack-iba-united-kingdom on 23/11/2024.