South Walls and Switha (2691)
United Kingdom, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: South Walls and Switha
Central coordinates: Latitude: 58.7852, Longitude: -3.2030
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 57
Area of KBA (km2): 2.63755
Protected area coverage (%): 22.04
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This site comprises three separate areas on the island of South Walls, in addition to the much smaller island of Switha. The site is important for breeding seabirds and waders, and wintering geese.
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 2000; no significant boundary changes since then. SPA boundary used from JNCC; digitised at 1:10,000 scale. Additional area added on 1:50,000 maps.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (100%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Shrubland | 33 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 33 | |
| Grassland | 33 |