Cliffs of Moher (584)
Ireland, Europe
Site overview
KBA status: confirmed
Year of last assessment: 2009
National site name: Cliffs of Moher
Central coordinates: Latitude: 52.9667, Longitude: -9.4333
System: marine, terrestrial
Elevation (m): 0 to 230
Area of KBA (km2): 5.38775
Protected area coverage (%): 99.96
KBA classification: Global/Regional TBD
Legacy site: Yes
Site details
Site description: Vertical sea cliffs up to 230 m in height, stretching 7 km along the County Clare coast, 10 km west of Ennistymon. The cliffs are mainly horizontally layered and unvegetated, with some wide vegetated slopes. The cliffs are a major tourist attraction with visitor centre and car park.
Rationale for qualifying as KBA: This site qualifies as a Key Biodiversity Area of international significance because it meets one or more previously established criteria and thresholds for identifying sites of biodiversity importance (including Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas, Alliance for Zero Extinction sites, and Key Biodiversity Areas)
Additional biodiversity: This is the largest colony of breeding seabirds in County Clare. Additional species that breed in numbers of national importance are Fulmarus glacialis (min. 3,000 birds, 1987), Rissa tridactyla (4,300 birds, 1987) and Uria aalge (12,800 birds, 1987).
Habitats
Land use: agriculture | not utilised | tourism/recreation
| IUCN Habitat | Coverage % | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | 5 | |
| Marine Neritic | 48 | |
| Grassland | 48 |
Threats
Summary of threats to biodiversity at KBA: The high visitor numbers to this site do not seem to have an undue effect on nesting seabirds.