St Kilda (2603)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: St Kilda
Central coordinates: Latitude: 57.8157, Longitude: -8.5802
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 384
Area of KBA (km2): 8.64253
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A group of islands and smaller rocky islets with precipitous cliffs, situated about 70 km west of North Uist. The vegetation, influenced by sea spray, seabirds and livestock, consists of acidic grassland and submaritime heath. These islands are of outstanding importance for their breeding seabirds. An endemic subspecies of Troglodytes troglodytes is present.
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: military (2%) | nature conservation and research (98%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 83 | |
| Grassland | 5 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 10 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 2 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |