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UK247
Uists Machairs, Lochs and Coast
Location United Kingdom, Scotland
Central coordinates 7o 23.18' West  57o 32.90' North
IBA criteria A1, A4i, B1i, B2, C1, C2, C3, C6
Area 16,436 ha
Altitude 0 - 80m
Year of IBA assessment 2007

Royal Society for the Protection of Birds



Site description A coastal strip of typical wet and dry machair, containing both large and small shallow lochs. The IBA holds a rich assemblage of breeding and wintering birds. Anser anser are from the Hebridean population.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Greylag Goose Anser anser winter  2001-2006  747 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Greylag Goose Anser anser breeding  1987-1995  30 breeding pairs  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Barnacle Goose Branta leucopsis winter  1988  1,552 individuals  good  B1i, B2, C2  Least Concern 
Corncrake Crex crex breeding  1995-1997  155 males only  good  A1, B2, C1, C6  Least Concern 
Spotted Crake Porzana porzana breeding  2006  2 males only  good  C6  Least Concern 
Eurasian Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus breeding  1995  1,490 breeding pairs  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula passage  2001-2006  1,063 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula winter  2001-2006  719 individuals  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Common Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula breeding  1995  800 breeding pairs  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica winter  2001-2006  1,176 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C2  Least Concern 
Common Redshank Tringa totanus breeding  1995  1,030 breeding pairs  good  B1i, B2, C3  Least Concern 
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres winter  2001-2006  730 individuals  good  A4i, B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Dunlin Calidris alpina breeding  1995  710 breeding pairs  good  B1i, C3  Least Concern 
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus breeding  1995  2 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea breeding  1999-2002  756 breeding pairs  good  C6  Least Concern 
Little Tern Sterna albifrons breeding  1999-2002  91 breeding pairs  good  B2, C6  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Baleshare and Kirkibost Site of Special Scientific Interest 1,466 protected area contained by site 1,466  
Loch Bee Site of Special Scientific Interest 1,173 protected area contained by site 1,173  
Loch Druidibeg National Nature Reserve 1,677 protected area contained by site 1,677  
Loch Druidibeg Site of Special Scientific Interest 1,677 protected area contained by site 1,677  
North Uist Machair Habitats Directive 3,049 protected area contained by site 3,049  
North Uist Machair and Islands Birds Directive 4,876 protected area contained by site 4,876  
North Uist Machair and Islands, Phase I Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 4,705 protected area contained by site 4,705  
South Uist Machair Habitats Directive 3,452 protected area contained by site 3,452  
South Uist Machair and Lochs Birds Directive 5,019 protected area contained by site 5,019  
South Uist Machair and Lochs Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar) 3,352 protected area contained by site 3,352  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Forest Mixed woodland  1%
Shrubland Heathland  10%
Grassland Machair  50%
Wetlands (inland) Rivers and streams; Standing freshwater; Tidal rivers and enclosed tidal waters; Water fringe vegetation  18%
Coastline Inland sand dunes  1%
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) Arable land; Highly improved re-seeded landscapes  20%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture 100%
hunting 100%

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Uists Machairs, Lochs and Coast. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife