SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Loch Leven
Loch Leven lies midway between the Forth and Tay estuaries in
east-central Scotland. It is about 3x5 km in extent and is the
largest naturally eutrophic loch in Britain and Ireland. It is
relatively shallow and is surrounded by farmland, with a diverse
aquatic flora and shoreline vegetation. The loch contains several
islands, the largest of which, St Serf's Island, has an area of
about 46 ha. The site supports internationally important wintering
populations of waterbirds (swans, geese and ducks).
Qualifying species
For individual species accounts visit the Species
Accounts section
This site qualifies under Article 4.1 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting populations of European
importance of the following species listed on Annex I of the
Directive:
Over winter;
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus, 101 individuals
representing up to 1.8% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6)
This site also qualifies under Article 4.2 of
the Directive (79/409/EEC) by supporting populations of European
importance of the following migratory species:
Over winter;
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus, 18,230
individuals representing up to 8.1% of the wintering Eastern
Greenland/Iceland/UK population (winter peak mean)
Shoveler Anas clypeata, 520 individuals representing
up to 1.3% of the wintering Northwestern/Central Europe population
(winter peak mean)
Assemblage qualification: A wetland of international
importance.
The area qualifies under Article 4.2 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by regularly supporting at least 20,000
waterfowl
Over winter, the area regularly supports 32,177 individual
waterfowl (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6) including: Goldeneye
Bucephala clangula, Tufted Duck Aythya fuligula,
Pochard Aythya ferina, Teal Anas crecca, Gadwall
Anas strepera, Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo,
Shoveler Anas clypeata, Pink-footed Goose Anser
brachyrhynchus, Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus .
Note:
Many designated sites are on private land: the listing of
a site in these pages does not imply any right of public
access.
Note that sites selected for waterbird species on the basis of
their occurrence in the breeding, passage or winter periods also
provide legal protection for these species when they occur at other
times of the year.