Connemara Islands (578)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2000
National site name: Connemara Islands
Central coordinates: Latitude: 53.5000, Longitude: -10.1500
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 63
Area of KBA (km2): 573.67427
Protected area coverage (%): 41.35
KBA classification: Regional
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: This very large site encompasses many small islands and islets stretching from Slyne Head (Illaunamid Island) south-eastwards via Ballyconneely, Bertraghboy and Kilkieran Bay as far as Greatman's Bay. Several IBAs which were treated separately in the previous pan-European inventory (Grimmett and Jones 1989) have been combined to form this site, including Eeshal Island (formerly IE041), Horse Island (formerly IE042), Hen Island (formerly IE043), Oilean Geabhrog (formerly IE045), Oilean nan Geabhrog (formerly IE046), Duck Island (formerly IE047) and Geabhrog Island (formerly IE048). The site also includes surrounding waters, covering a sea area up to 5 km off the mainland, along a coast of 40 km in length.
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 group of islands supports some of the most important colonies of breeding terns Sterna, especially Sterna paradisaea, in Ireland and is also an important winter feeding site for Branta leucopsis, particularly on St Macdara's Island and more recently in Inishmuskerry. A detailed review of tern usage from surveys in 1969-1970, 1984 and 1995 is required to clarify which are the most important islands. In the absence of such a review, a single such IBA is considered a better approach as terns appear to be very mobile within this area.
Habitats
Land use: agriculture (10%) | fisheries/aquaculture (80%) | not utilised (10%)
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 10 | |
| Marine Neritic | 80 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 | |
| Marine Intertidal | 5 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: Fishing in surrounding waters may deplete the prey stock of seabirds, with implications for their breeding success, while increasing tourism (trips to the islands) may lead to disturbance of nesting terns. The site overlaps with a proposed Special Protection Area (Slyne Head, 1,514 ha).