The Skelligs: Great Skellig and Little Skellig (595)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: The Skelligs: Great Skellig and Little Skellig
Central coordinates: Latitude: 51.7833, Longitude: -10.5167
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 240
Area of KBA (km2): 0.30039
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Two precipitous, rocky, uninhabited islands, situated 16 km west of Bolus Head on the Iveragh peninsula in County Kerry. Great Skellig reaches a height of 240 m and is the site of an old Celtic monastery. Little Skellig lies 1 km to its north-east and reaches 134 m in height. Great Skellig is popular with day-trippers. Landing on Little Skellig is prohibited.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that meets the thresholds for at least one criterion described in the Global Standard for the Identification of KBAs.
Additional biodiversity: The Skellig Islands are of international importance for breeding seabirds. In particular, the colony of Sula bassana on Little Skellig is the largest in Ireland. Other species breeding in numbers of national importance are Fulmarus glacialis (>800 pairs, 1993), Rissa tridactyla (>2,000 pairs, 1993), Alca torda (>300 birds, 1993) and Uria aalge (1,500 birds, 1993).
Habitats
Land use: not utilised (40%) | tourism/recreation (60%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: It is important to ensure that visitors to Great Skellig use the paths, to prevent erosion of the fragile soils where many of the birds have their nest-burrows. BirdWatch Ireland has a long-term lease on Little Skellig.