Copinsay
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Guillemot (Uria aalge), breeding | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2016-03-14 |
| F2 | Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), breeding | Unfavourable Declining | — | 2016-03-14 |
| F3 | Seabird colony, breeding | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2016-03-14 |
Climate exposure
This is about exposure to a nationwide pressure this habitat type carries — not a verdict on this site's own management.
Coastal habitats are exposed to sea-level rise and storm erosion. Where hard sea defences sit behind them, there's nowhere landward to retreat to — a squeeze that keeps compressing the habitat no matter how well it's managed.
Geology & landscape
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| Arctic tern | Breeding |
| cormorant | Breeding |
| fulmar | Breeding |
| great black-backed gull | Breeding |
| guillemot | Breeding |
| herring gull | Breeding |
| kittiwake | Breeding |
| puffin | Breeding |
| razorbill | Breeding |
Description
COPINSAY The island of Copinsay and the three smaller islets of Corn Holm, Ward Holm, and Black Holm lie 1.5 kilometres off the coast of Deerness on the Orkney mainland. The holms are connected to Copinsay at low tide by a storm beach. The coastline is rocky with sheer cliffs to the east which extend for 1.5 kilometres. At its highest point the cliffs reach over 65 metres in height and provide an ideal breeding site for a range of nationally and internationally important seabirds. These cliffs support a nationally and internationally important seabird colony with nationally and internationally significant numbers of guillemot and kittiwake. The seabird colony also includes fulmar, great black-backed gull, shag, razorbill, great skua, Arctic tern, herring gull, puffin, black guillemot and cormorant, which all occur in significant numbers. The site is one of the most important sites for seabirds in Orkney.
Species mentioned
Show the 12 species mentioned in the description, with red-list status| English name search for this in other sites |
Latin name search with Google |
IUCN / Red List | Type | Family |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| razorbill | Alca torda | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| black guillemot | Cepphus grylle | NT (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| puffin | Fratercula arctica | CR (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| guillemot | Uria aalge | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| shag | Gulosus aristotelis | VU (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| cormorant | Phalacrocorax carbo | NT (Breeding) | bird-frigate | fregatidae |
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |
| herring gull | Larus argentatus | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| great black-backed gull | Larus marinus | EN (NonBreeding), CR (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| great skua | Stercorarius skua | VU (Breeding) | bird-skua | stercorariidae |
| Arctic tern | Sterna paradisaea | EN (Breeding) | bird-tern | laridae |