Sule Skerry and Sule Stack (2607)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Global KBA criteria: A1b, A1d, D1a
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Sule Skerry and Sule Stack
Central coordinates: Latitude: 59.0852, Longitude: -4.4073
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 15
Area of KBA (km2): 0.18857
Protected area coverage (%): 100.00
KBA classification: Global
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Sule Skerry lies about 60 km west of Orkney Mainland, with Sule Stack a further 8 km to the south-west. The vegetation on Sule Skerry is limited by sea spray and bird activity, and is dominated by Tripleurospermum inodorum during the summer. A lighthouse is present. Sule Stack is a high, bare rock stack, with no vascular plants. Both islands are important 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: not utilised (95%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 100 |
Threats
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Climate change & severe weather | Habitat shifting & alteration | Ongoing |