SPA description
(information as published 2001)
Firth of Forth
The Firth of Forth is located on the east coast of central
Scotland. It is a complex estuarine site, stretching for over 100
km from the River Forth at Stirling eastwards past Edinburgh and
along the coasts of Fife and East Lothian to a wide estuary mouth.
A wide range of coastal and intertidal habitats is found within the
site, including saltmarshes, dune systems, maritime grasslands,
heath and fen, cliff slopes, shingle and brackish lagoons.
Extensive mud-flats occur particularly in the Inner Firth, notably
at Kinneil Kerse and Skinflats on the south shore and Torry Bay on
the north shore. Typically, the flats support a rich invertebrate
fauna, with Eelgrass Zostera spp. growing on the main
mud-flats, both features providing important food sources for the
large numbers of migrating and wintering waterbirds that depend on
the estuary. In the Outer Firth, the shoreline diversifies, with
sandy shores, some rocky outcrops, mussel beds and some artificial
sea walls. The North Berwick coast includes cliffs and dune
grassland, with extensive dune systems at Aberlady. The Firth is of
major importance for a rich assemblage of waterbirds in the
migration periods and through the winter, including divers,
sea-ducks, geese, other ducks, waders and terns. Some of these
species, notably the sea-ducks and divers, also feed, loaf and
roost outside the SPA in the open waters of the estuary.
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:
On passage;
Sandwich Tern Sterna sandvicensis, 1,611 individuals
representing at least 3.8% of the population in Great Britain
Over winter;
Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa lapponica, 2,600 individuals
representing at least 4.9% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (winter peak mean)
Golden Plover Pluvialis apricaria, 2,970 individuals
representing at least 1.2% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (5 year peak mean 1991/2 - 1995/6)
Red-throated Diver Gavia stellata, 88 individuals
representing at least 1.8% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (WeBS 1992 to 1997 mean)
Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus, 71 individuals
representing at least 17.8% of the wintering population in Great
Britain (5 year mean 1992/3-1996/7)
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;
Knot Calidris canutus, 8,013 individuals representing
at least 2.3% of the wintering Northeastern
Canada/Greenland/Iceland/Northwestern Europe population (winter
peak mean)
Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus, 12,400
individuals representing at least 5.5% of the wintering Eastern
Greenland/Iceland/UK population (winter peak mean)
Redshank Tringa totanus, 3,700 individuals
representing at least 2.5% of the wintering Eastern Atlantic -
wintering population (winter peak mean)
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, 3,586 individuals
representing at least 1.2% of the wintering Northwestern Europe
population (winter peak mean)
Turnstone Arenaria interpres, 1,286 individuals
representing at least 1.8% of the wintering Western Palearctic -
wintering 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 86,067 individual
waterfowl (WeBS 1991/2-95/6) including: Scaup Aythya
marila, Slavonian Grebe Podiceps auritus, Golden
Plover Pluvialis apricaria, Bar-tailed Godwit Limosa
lapponica, Pink-footed Goose Anser brachyrhynchus,
Shelduck Tadorna tadorna, Knot Calidris canutus,
Redshank Tringa totanus, Turnstone Arenaria
interpres, Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus,
Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo, Red-throated Diver
Gavia stellata, Mallard Anas platyrhynchos,
Curlew Numenius arquata, Eider Somateria
mollissima, Long-tailed duck Clangula hyemalis,
Common Scoter Melanitta nigra, Velvet Scoter Melanitta
fusca, Goldeneye Bucephala clangula, Red-breasted
Merganser Mergus serrator, Oystercatcher Haematopus
ostralegus, Ringed Plover Charadrius hiaticula, Grey
Plover Pluvialis squatarola, Lapwing Vanellus
vanellus, Dunlin Calidris alpina alpina, Wigeon
Anas penelope.
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.