Key Biodiversity Areas

Calf of Man (2702)
United Kingdom, Europe

Site overview


KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2007
National site name: Calf of Man
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.0528, Longitude: -4.8150
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 128
Area of KBA (km2): 2.50234
Protected area coverage (%): 8.58
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes

Site details


Site description: Lying 400 m off the south-western tip of the Isle of Man, the Calf has a rugged coastline with steep slate cliffs of varying height. Habitat-types present include maritime heath and grassland. The island was farmed until 1958, and is currently grazed by Manx loaghtan sheep. The IBA is important for breeding seabirds and other cliff-nesters.
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 designated in 1989; no significant changes to the boundary since. Digitised onto 1:50,000 scale OS maps.

Habitats


Land use: agriculture | nature conservation and research
IUCN HabitatCoverage %Habitat detail
Marine Coastal/Supratidal33
Grassland33
Shrubland33