Copeland Islands - Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)

Area of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)

Copeland Islands ASSI is located off the County Down coast of Northern Ireland and comprises Big Copeland, Light House Island and Mew Island. The islands are important sites for breeding seabirds and waders, in addition to their coastal plant communities and geological features.

Big Copeland supports the most diverse range of habitats of the three islands. Communities influenced by the sea are found around the shore with maritime cliff vegetation and pockets of salt marsh also present. The centre of the island is occupied by semi-improved wet grassland with frequent areas of marsh.

The vegetation on Light House Island consists of short rabbit grazed turf with large areas of rank Bracken (Pteridium aquilinum (L.) Kukn), and Himalayan Balsam. Notable species include English Stonecrop, Rock Sea-Spurrey, Scots Lovage (Ligusticum scoticum L.) and Sea Purslane (Halimione portulacoides (L.) Allen). Light House Island represents the southern limit for Scots Lovage in Europe and the northern limit for Sea Purslane in Ireland.

Mew Island is dominated by rank stands of grass and Bracken but, as on all the islands, notable areas of inter-tidal and exposed rock habitat are present.

The islands are internationally important sites for breeding populations of Manx Shearwater and Arctic Tern and nationally important sites for breeding Mediterranean Gull, Common Gull and Eider Duck. The Manx Shearwater colony on Copeland Islands holds more than 1.7% of the world population. The colony is in excess of four thousand pairs. The rabbit populations on the islands play an important role in the breeding success of the Manx Shearwater as the latter mainly nest in the rabbit burrows that honeycomb the islands. Grazing by rabbits maintains a short sward, which is desirable for the fledglings.

Big Copeland has an internationally important Arctic Tern colony, with some 550 pairs. The site now represents the largest colony for this species in Ireland. Mew Island has been an important tern colony in the past and it is hoped that positive management will encourage terns to become re-established.

The islands are the most important breeding sites in Northern Ireland for Common Gull with over 250 pairs present. Big Copeland has recently held Northern Ireland’s first successful breeding pair of Mediterranean Gull.

The islands are home to a nationally important population of breeding Eider Duck. In total the three islands account for 14% of the Irish population. Non-breeding Eider form part of the nationally important population that occurs along the Outer Ards coast and Belfast Lough areas.

Other breeding colonies of note include Black Guillemot, Water Rail and Stock Dove. The latter species has suffered a dramatic decline in Northern Ireland, but numbers have increased on Copeland with some 100 pairs now breeding.

Breeding waders such as Lapwing and Snipe may be found further inland. Here the taller vegetation, interspersed with open areas, provides an ideal breeding habitat.

Birds of prey favour the islands when the breeding season is over. Hen Harrier, Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon are all seen regularly.

Grey Seal and Common Seal can be found off the Copeland Islands in significant numbers. They utilise the off-shore islands and reefs as haul-outs and as pupping and mating sites.