Tory Island (550)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Tory Island
Central coordinates: Latitude: 55.2667, Longitude: -8.2333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 83
Area of KBA (km2): 6.07184
Protected area coverage (%): 97.60
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A large, inhabited marine island and surrounding waters, situated 11 km north of Bloody Foreland in County Donegal. The island is mainly low-lying but high cliffs occur along the northern side, and at the east end rise to 90 m. Back from the cliffs maritime heath dominates. Farming is largely low intensity with hay meadows and grazing by cattle and sheep. However, there has been some improvement of land for arable crops. There is an unmanned lighthouse at the west end.
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.
Additional biodiversity: This is an internationally important site for the globally threatened Crex crex. It is also of national importance for a diversity of breeding seabirds, including Fulmarus glacialis (260 pairs, 1987), Rissa tridactyla (530 pairs, 1987), Uria aalge (650 birds, 1987), Alca torda (630 birds, 1987) and Fratercula arctica (>1,000 birds, 1994).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (20%) | fisheries/aquaculture (40%) | nature conservation and research (100%) | urban/industrial/transport (10%) | water management (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Marine Neritic | 35 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 30 | |
| Artificial - Terrestrial | 15 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Crex crex is highly sensitive to changes in agricultural practices and the late cutting of hay-meadows is essential to its survival at this site. However, the site is threatened by the intensification of farming, mainly the extension of winter grazing into the summer, preventing meadow growth. BirdWatch Ireland, with support from NPW and RSPB, operates a grant scheme on the island to encourage farming practices that favour Crex crex. Predation may also threaten Crex crex on this island. Other threats include erosion of maritime heath due to its extreme exposure together with grazing by domestic stock and rabbits, and localized peat-cutting. The site overlaps with a proposed candidate Special Area for Conservation (Tory Island; area not known).
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Threat level 3 | Timing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture & aquaculture | Livestock farming & ranching | Small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Problematic native species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Invasive & other problematic species, genes & diseases | Invasive non-native/alien species/diseases | Named species | Ongoing |
| Biological resource use | Fishing & harvesting aquatic resources | Unintentional effects: large scale (species being assessed is not the target) [harvest] | Only in the future |
| Natural system modifications | Other ecosystem modifications | Ongoing |