North Colonsay and Western Cliffs (2552)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: North Colonsay and Western Cliffs
Central coordinates: Latitude: 56.1035, Longitude: -6.1750
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 143
Area of KBA (km2): 9.7511
Protected area coverage (%): 99.89
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: An Inner Hebridean island group with high craggy cliffs, machair, sand-dunes, heathland and farmed areas. A herb-rich sward occurs under the influence of sea spray, whilst the mainly acidic underlying rock supports wet, dry and maritime heaths. The IBA is important for breeding seabirds.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance that was identified using previously established criteria and thresholds for the identification of Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and for which available data indicate that it does not meet global KBA criteria and thresholds set out in the Global Standard.
Delineation rationale: First identified in 1989 as North Colonsay and Western Cliffs; extended in 2000 to cover the whole islands and renamed to Colonsay and Oronsay; split into two component IBAs in 2007: this one and Oronsay and South Colonsay. 2000 area, 5086ha (both islands). SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: nature conservation and research | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands(Inland) | 14 | |
| Forest | 14 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 14 | |
| Grassland | 14 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 14 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 14 | |
| Shrubland | 14 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |