Hen Harrier SPA Habitat Map

Under Article 4 of the Birds Directive (Directive 2009/ 147/EC) six Special Protection Areas (SPAs), covering a total land area of c.1,671km² has been classified for the conservation of the Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus in Ireland. A survey of breeding Hen Harrier reported that 128 to 172 breeding pairs were recorded in 2010 which was broadly similar to the totals recorded in the previous survey in 2005. However notable declines were recorded in some traditional strongholds of this species’ breeding range (Ruddock et al., 2012). In 2014 a Hen Harrier Habitat Mapping Project focusing on these SPAs and based on remote sensing techniques was undertaken. This project was to produce a contemporary geospatially digitised habitat map for the six SPAs. This project produced a contemporary geospatially digitised habitat map for the six SPAs. This projects was to use habitat categories that broadly correspond to the Fossitt Classification system (Smith et al., 2011), distinguish habitats of ecological relevance to Hen Harrier, to use a mapping resolution corresponding to the Ordnance Survey Ireland 1:5000 base-map to allow land use within discreet enclosed land parcels to be readily identifiable.