SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Cromarty Firth
Cromarty Firth is located in north-eastern Scotland and is one
of the major firths on the east shore of the Moray Firth. It
contains a range of high-quality coastal habitats including
extensive intertidal mud-flats and shingle bordered locally by
areas of saltmarsh, as well as reedbeds around Dingwall. The rich
invertebrate fauna of the intertidal flats, with beds of eelgrass
Zostera spp., glasswort Salicornia spp.,
and Enteromorpha algae, all provide important food sources
for large numbers of wintering and migrating waterbirds (swans,
geese, ducks and waders). With adjacent estuarine areas elsewhere
in the Moray Firth, it is the most northerly major wintering area
for wildfowl and waders in Europe. The Firth is also of importance
as a feeding area for locally breeding Osprey Pandion
haliaetus as well as for breeding terns.
Cromarty Firth SPA forms an integral ecological component of
Moray Basin Firths and Bays.
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;
Common Tern Sterna hirundo, 294 pairs representing at
least 2.4% of the breeding population in Great Britain (5 year
mean, 1989-1993)
Osprey Pandion haliaetus, 1 pairs representing at
least 1.0% of the breeding population in Great Britain (Early
1990s)
Over winter;
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, 1,420 individuals
representing at least 2.7% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (winter peak mean)
Whooper Swan Cygnus cygnus, 55 individuals
representing at least 1.0% 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;
Greylag Goose Anser anser, 1,777 individuals
representing at least 1.8% of the wintering Iceland/UK/Ireland
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 34,847 individual
waterfowl (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6) including: Redshank
Tringa totanus, Curlew Numenius arquata, Dunlin
Calidris alpina alpina, Knot Calidris canutus,
Oystercatcher Haematopus ostralegus, Red-breasted
Merganser Mergus serrator, Scaup Aythya marila,
Pintail Anas acuta, Wigeon Anas penelope, Greylag
Goose Anser anser, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa
lapponica, 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.