Site description A peninsula in the south-west of Islay, exposed to the prevailing south-westerly weather. This results in a highly oceanic climate with closer ecological affinities to western Ireland than to the rest of Britain. The IBA includes rocky shore, blanket mire, heathland and farmland habitats. The site is important wintering greese, and for breeding raptors and other upland species. Anser albifrons are the flavirostris subspecies.
Populations of IBA trigger species
Protected areas
| Protected area |
Designation |
Area (ha) |
Relationship with IBA |
Overlap with IBA (ha) |
|
| The Oa |
RSPB Reserve |
2,154 |
protected area contained by site |
2,154 |
|
Habitats
| IUCN habitat |
Habitat detail |
Extent (% of site) |
| Shrubland |
Heathland |
- |
| Wetlands (inland) |
Blanket bogs |
- |
| Coastline |
Sea cliffs and rocky shores |
- |
| Artificial landscapes (terrestrial) |
Arable land |
- |
Land use
| Land-use |
Extent (% of site) |
| agriculture |
95% |
| forestry |
5% |
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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: The Oa. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 20/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
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