• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis	LC	winter	1988	1,552 individuals	B1i, B2, C2
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	winter	2001-2006	747 individuals	B1i, C3
Greylag Goose Anser anser	LC	breeding	1987-1995	30 breeding 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 breeding pairs	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	passage	2001-2006	1,063 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	winter	2001-2006	719 individuals	B1i, C3
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	LC	breeding	1995	800 breeding pairs	B1i, C3
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	NT	winter	2001-2006	1,176 individuals	A4i, B1i, C2
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter	2001-2006	730 individuals	A4i, B1i, C3
Dunlin Calidris alpina	NT	breeding	1995	710 breeding pairs	B1i, C2, C6
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus	LC	breeding	1995	2 breeding pairs	C6
Common Redshank Tringa totanus	LC	breeding	1995	1,030 breeding pairs	B1i, B2, C3
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	LC	breeding	1999-2002	91 breeding pairs	B2, C6
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea	LC	breeding	1999-2002	756 breeding pairs	C6

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
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus	1,010	54	individuals	6	very unfavourable
Greylag Goose Anser anser	300	747	individuals	100	favourable
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana	2	2	males	100	favourable
European Storm-petrel Hydrobates pelagicus	225	0	breeding pairs	0	very unfavourable
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula	1,300	719	individuals	56	unfavourable
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica	675	1,176	individuals	100	favourable
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	850	730	individuals	86	near favourable
Little Tern Sternula albifrons	59	91	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (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	% overlap with IBA
1952	Loch Hallan	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1958	Loch Druidibeg	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	10
1958	Loch Druidibeg	National Nature Reserve	10
1964	Machairs Robach and Newton	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	4
1966	Balranald	Nature Reserve	4
1974	Howmore Estuary, Lochs Roag and Fada	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1974	West Benbecula Lochs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1974	Lochs at Clachan	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	<1
1975	Baleshare and Kirkibost	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	9
1975	Loch Bee	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	7
1975	Bornish and Ormiclate Machairs	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	4
1976	South Uist Machair & Lochs	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	20
1978	Balranald Bog and Loch nam Feithean	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	5
1980	South Lewis, Harris and North Uist	National Scenic Area	25
1980	South Uist Machair	National Scenic Area	13
1989	Loch Bee Machair	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	5
1990	Vallay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	2
1992	South Uist Machair and Lochs	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	31
1992	Kilpheder and Smerclate; South Uist	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2
1996	South Uist Machair	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	21
1996	North Uist Machair	Site of Community Importance (Habitats Directive)	19
1997	Pabbay	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	3
1997	Aird and Borve; Benbecula	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	2
1999	North Uist Machair and Islands	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	29
1999	Berneray	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	4
1999	Boreray	Site of Special Scientific Interest (UK)	1
2001	North Uist Machair and Islands	Special Protection Area (Birds Directive)	30
2002	Vallay	Nature Reserve	1
2011	North Uist Machair and Islands	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	5
2011	South Uist Machair and Lochs	Marine Protected Area (OSPAR)	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Highly improved re-seeded landscapes, Arable land	major (>10)
Grassland	Machair	major (>10)
Forest	Mixed woodland	minor (<10)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		minor (<10)
Marine Neritic		minor (<10)
Shrubland	Heathland	minor (<10)
Wetlands (inland)	Standing freshwater, Rivers and streams, Water fringe vegetation	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 23/11/2024.