Fair Isle (2468)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Fair Isle
Central coordinates: Latitude: 59.5327, Longitude: -1.6275
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 217
Area of KBA (km2): 5.61744
Protected area coverage (%): 99.52
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An island of Old Red Sandstone situated halfway between the Shetland mainland and Orkney, which has been home to a bird observatory since 1947. Maritime grassland occurs around the coasts. The island supports large colonies of breeding seabirds and waterbirds, and is also important as a stop-over site for migrating birds.
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.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989; boundary reduced to match the SPA in 2007 (no significant overall change in number of hectares). SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Shrubland | 33 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |