North Rona and Sula Sgeir (2559)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: North Rona and Sula Sgeir
Central coordinates: Latitude: 59.1228, Longitude: -5.8252
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 108
Area of KBA (km2): 1.38661
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Two islands, with a number of outlying rocky islets, lying about 65 km north of the island of Lewis. Sula Sgeir is located about 15 km to the west of the far larger North Rona. The islands support submaritime grassland modified locally by sea spray. These islands are of major importance for breeding seabirds.
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; no significant boundary changes since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | not utilised
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 15 | |
| Grassland | 85 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |