SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Fetlar
Fetlar is one of the northernmost of the Shetland Islands in
northern Scotland. The SPA comprises a range of habitats including
species-rich heathland, marshes and lochans, cliffs and rocky
shores. The principal areas of importance for birds are the
northernmost part of the island and the south-western peninsula of
Lamb Hoga. Most of the north of the island is vegetated by
heathland and relatively species-poor grasslands owing to the
influence of underlying serpentine-base-rich rocks. In wetter
areas, small lochs and sedge-rich mires are present. Around the
coasts are floristically rich maritime grasslands and heathlands.
Lamb Hoga has heather moorland with areas of Cottongrass
Eriophorum spp. dominated blanket bog. Fetlar SPA is of
importance for a number of northern breeding waders, as well as
breeding seabirds, which nest especially on the moorlands as well
as in some of the other wetlands.
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:
During the breeding season;
Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea, 520 pairs representing
at least 1.2% of the breeding population in Great Britain (Three
year mean, 1994-1997)
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus, 30 pairs
representing at least 75.0% of the breeding population in Great
Britain (Count, as at mid-1990s)
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:
During the breeding season;
Dunlin Calidris alpina schinzii, 90 pairs
representing at least 0.8% of the breeding Baltic/UK/Ireland
population (Count, as at late 1980s-early 1990s)
Great Skua Catharacta skua, 512 pairs representing at
least 3.8% of the breeding World population (Count, as at
1992)
Whimbrel Numenius phaeopus, 65 pairs representing
<0.1% of the breeding Europe/Western Africa population (Count,
as at late 1980s-early 1990s)
Assemblage qualification: A seabird assemblage of
international importance
The area qualifies under Article 4.2 of the
Directive (79/409/EEC) by regularly supporting at least 20,000
seabirds
During the breeding season, the area regularly supports 22,000
individual seabirds including: Arctic Skua Stercorarius
parasiticus, Fulmar Fulmarus glacialis, Great Skua
Catharacta skua, Arctic Tern Sterna paradisaea,
Red-necked Phalarope Phalaropus lobatus.
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.