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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	winter (1988)	1,552 birds	B1i, B2, C2
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter (2001–2006)	747 birds	B1i, C3
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	breeding (1987–1995)	30 pairs	B1i, C3
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	breeding (1995–1997)	155 males	A1, B2, C1, C6
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	LC	breeding (2006)	2 males	C6
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus	NT	breeding (1995)	1,490 pairs	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage (2001–2006)	1,063 birds	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	winter (2001–2006)	719 birds	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	breeding (1995)	800 pairs	B1i, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter (2001–2006)	1,176 birds	A4i, B1i, C2
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter (2001–2006)	730 birds	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	breeding (1995)	710 pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	breeding (1995)	2 pairs	C6
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	breeding (1995)	1,030 pairs	B1i, B2, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding (1999–2002)	91 pairs	B2, C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding (1999–2002)	756 pairs	C6

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	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	54 / 1,010 (birds)	6	very poor
Greylag Goose Anser anser	747 / 300 (birds)	100	good
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	2 / 2 (males)	100	good
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	0 / 225 (pairs)	0	very poor
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	719 / 1,300 (birds)	56	poor
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	1,176 / 675 (birds)	100	good
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	730 / 850 (birds)	86	moderate
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	91 / 59 (pairs)	100	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Most of area (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1952	Loch Hallan	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	2
1958	Loch Druidibeg	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	10
1958	Loch Druidibeg	National Nature Reserve (IV)	10
1964	Machairs Robach and Newton	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	4
1966	Balranald	Nature Reserve (IV)	4
1974	Howmore Estuary, Lochs Roag and Fada	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	2
1974	West Benbecula Lochs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1974	Lochs at Clachan	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	<1
1975	Baleshare and Kirkibost	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	9
1975	Loch Bee	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	7
1975	Bornish and Ormiclate Machairs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	4
1978	Balranald Bog and Loch nam Feithean	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	5
1989	Loch Bee Machair	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	5
1990	Vallay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	2
1997	Pabbay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	3
1999	Berneray	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	4
1999	Boreray	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK) (IV)	1
2002	Vallay	Nature Reserve (IV)	1
2011	North Uist Machair and Islands	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	5
2011	South Uist Machair and Lochs	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR) (UA)	1

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	major (>10)	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes; Arable land
Grassland	major (>10)	Machair
Forest	minor (<10)	Mixed woodland
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	minor (<10)
Marine Neritic	minor (<10)
Shrubland	minor (<10)	Heathland
Wetlands (inland)	minor (<10)	Standing freshwater; Rivers and streams; Water fringe vegetation

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	100
hunting	100

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Uists Machairs, Lochs and Coast (United Kingdom). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/uists-machairs-lochs-and-coast-iba-united-kingdom on 23/12/2024.