Inishmurray (559)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Inishmurray
Central coordinates: Latitude: 54.4333, Longitude: -8.6667
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 20
Area of KBA (km2): 2.60336
Protected area coverage (%): 89.83
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: A low, flat marine island, with rocky coastline and several small lakes, situated 6 km north-west of Streedagh Point in County Sligo. The main habitat is wet acidic grassland. The island has been uninhabited since the 1950s and is an important archaeological site. The IBA has been expanded since the previous European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989) to include the surrounding sea area.
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: An important site for breeding seabirds and for wintering wildfowl, as well as a nationally important breeding site for Somateria mollissima.
Habitats
Land use: fisheries/aquaculture (65%) | tourism/recreation (20%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 15 | |
| Grassland | 20 | |
| Marine Neritic | 65 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The main threat to birds is disturbance from visitors to the island; access and visitor numbers should be controlled during the breeding season.