Marwick Head
Also within
Condition (NatureScot)
| Unit | Feature | Condition | Area (ha) | Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F1 | Guillemot (Uria aalge), breeding | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2026-03-31 |
| F2 | Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla), breeding | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2026-03-31 |
| F3 | Seabird colony, breeding | Unfavourable No Change | — | 2026-03-31 |
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
Rock Type: Sandstone
Landscape processes: Coastal
Birds & fish recorded
Birds
| Species | Season |
|---|---|
| fulmar | Breeding |
| guillemot | Breeding |
| herring gull | Breeding |
| kittiwake | Breeding |
| puffin | Breeding |
| razorbill | Breeding |
Description
Marwick Head Marwick Head Site of Special Scientific Interest is on the west coast of Orkney Mainland between Bay of Skaill and the Brough of Birsay. The site supports breeding seabirds. The geology of this site features sandstone cliffs which provide excellent nesting locations for many sea bird species. The site accommodates one of the three largest seabird colonies in Orkney. The breeding Guillemot Uria aalge and Kittiwake Rissa tridactyla are of national importance with 4% and 2% respectively of the British and Irish breeding populations. The breeding seabird colony is also of national importance and the species in the area include; Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, Razorbill Alca torda, Puffin Fratercula arctica, Shag Phalacrocorax aristotelis, Jackdaw Coloeus monedula and herring gull Larus argentatus.
Species mentioned
Show the 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phalacrocorax aristotelis | Not listed in GB list | bird | phalacrocoracidae | |
| razorbill | Alca torda | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| puffin | Fratercula arctica | CR (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| guillemot | Uria aalge | LC (Breeding) | bird-auk | alcidae |
| jackdaw | Coloeus monedula | LC (Breeding) | bird-corvid | corvidae |
| fulmar | Fulmarus glacialis | CR (Breeding) | bird-fulmar | procellariidae |
| herring gull | Larus argentatus | EN (NonBreeding), EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |
| kittiwake | Rissa tridactyla | EN (Breeding) | bird-gull | laridae |