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Foula
| Location | United Kingdom, Scotland |
| Central coordinates | 2o 4.71' West 60o 8.03' North |
| IBA criteria | A4i, A4ii, A4iii, B1i, B1ii, B2, B3, C3, C4, C6 |
| Area | 1,316 ha |
| Altitude | 0 - 418m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2007 |
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
Site description An island characterized by steep slopes and a cool oceanic climate. Vegetation types include mire and cliff-top communities, with submaritime and montane communities on higher ground. The site holds very large populations of cliff and moorland nesting seabirds.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northern Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis | breeding | 2000 | 21,106 breeding pairs | good | B1ii, C3 | Least Concern |
| Leach's Storm-petrel Oceanodroma leucorhoa | breeding | 2001 | 15 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| European Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis | breeding | 2000 | 2,277 breeding pairs | good | A4i, B1i, B3, C3 | Least Concern |
| Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea | breeding | 2000 | 950 breeding pairs | good | C6 | Least Concern |
| Great Skua Stercorarius skua | breeding | 2000 | 2,293 breeding pairs | good | A4ii, B1ii, B3, C3 | Least Concern |
| Common Guillemot Uria aalge | breeding | 2000 | 41,435 individuals | good | B1ii, C3 | Least Concern |
| Razorbill Alca torda | breeding | 2000 | 2,121 individuals | good | B3 | Least Concern |
| Atlantic Puffin Fratercula arctica | breeding | 2000 | 22,500 breeding pairs | good | B1ii, B2, C3 | Least Concern |
| A4iii Species group - seabirds | breeding | 2000-2001 | 76,012 breeding pairs | good | A4iii, C4 |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foula | Birds Directive | 1,323 | is identical to site | 1,316 |
|
| Foula | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 1,327 | protected area contained by site | 1,099 |
|
| Foula Coast | Site of Special Scientific Interest | 236 | protected area contained by site | 236 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | - | |
| Wetlands (inland) | Fens, transition mires and springs | - |
| Coastline | Sea cliffs and rocky shores | - |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 90% |
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Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Foula. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 20/06/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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