Current view: Text account
Site description (2000 baseline):
Site location and context
A large, inhabited marine island and surrounding waters, situated 11 km north of Bloody Foreland in County Donegal. The island is mainly low-lying but high cliffs occur along the northern side, and at the east end rise to 90 m. Back from the cliffs maritime heath dominates. Farming is largely low intensity with hay meadows and grazing by cattle and sheep. However, there has been some improvement of land for arable crops. There is an unmanned lighthouse at the west end.
This is an internationally important site for the globally threatened
Crex crex. It is also of national importance for a diversity of breeding seabirds, including
Fulmarus glacialis (260 pairs, 1987),
Rissa tridactyla (530 pairs, 1987),
Uria aalge (650 birds, 1987),
Alca torda (630 birds, 1987) and
Fratercula arctica (>1,000 birds, 1994).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Crex crex is highly sensitive to changes in agricultural practices and the late cutting of hay-meadows is essential to its survival at this site. However, the site is threatened by the intensification of farming, mainly the extension of winter grazing into the summer, preventing meadow growth. BirdWatch Ireland, with support from NPW and RSPB, operates a grant scheme on the island to encourage farming practices that favour
Crex crex. Predation may also threaten
Crex crex on this island. Other threats include erosion of maritime heath due to its extreme exposure together with grazing by domestic stock and rabbits, and localized peat-cutting. The site overlaps with a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Tory Island; area not known).
National None
International High607 ha of IBA covered by Special Protection Area (Tory Island, 607 ha).
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Tory Island (Ireland). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/tory-island-iba-ireland on 22/11/2024.
