Marwick Head SPA

Status: Designated

Description

Site overview

This site is on the west coast of the island of Mainland in the Orkney archipelago of northern Scotland.  This is an important nesting area for large numbers of Guillemots and Kittiwakes. These species feed outside the site in surrounding areas.

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MPA Type

Special Protection Area

Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are strictly protected sites designated uner European legislation. They are established to protect rare and vulnerable birds and for regularly occurring migratory species.

Designation date

1 December 1994

Surface Area

4.76 km2 (1.84 mi.2)

Perimeter

13.90 km (8.64 mi.)

  • Black-legged kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla)

    A small cliff nesting seabird named for it its nasal “ki-ti-waak”” callnotes. The population is declining in some areas

    Source: possibly due to a shortage of food fish like
  • Seabird assemblage (Seabird assemblage)

    Important areas where a number of seabird species occur in significant numbers.

    Source: JNCC
  • Common guillemot (Uria aalge)

    One of the most common birds breeding on sheer, crowded cliffs known as ‘seabird cities’. This seabird only comes to land to breed and spends the rest of its life at sea.

    Source: RSPB

  • Marine areas, Sea inlets

Did you know?…

Over 170 parliamentarians from across the political spectrum signed up to our Marine Charter calling for a network of ‘marine protected areas’ in UK Seas

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An area over 9 times the size of Wales is now in marine protected areas in the UK, but less than 1% is considered by MCS scientists to be well managed

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