Pettigoe Plateau

Special Protection Areas (SPAs)

The Pettigoe Plateau is situated in Fermanagh in the west of Northern Ireland to the north of Lower Lough Erne. It abuts the International border with the Irish Republic. It is one of the largest expanses of blanket bog in Northern Ireland formed on a relatively low elevation rolling landscape interspersed with hills with mineral soil and depressions with several small lakes. The extensive blanket bog which covers most of the site exhibits the full range of characteristic vegetation and structural features associated with this type of habitat. The area of the Special Protection Area is 1270 ha.

The site regularly supports nationally important numbers of breeding golden plover, an Annex 1 species. The population is estimated to up to 12 pairs, representing 4% of the Irish population (based on 1987 and 1995 surveys).

The site forms part of an extended cross-border site which occasionally supports nationally important numbers of wintering Greenland white-fronted goose, an Annex 1 species. The average peak winter count of the extended site is 133 birds, representing 0.95% of the Irish population (based on the five year peak mean for 1989/90 to 1993/94). The Special Protection Area is used for both feeding and roosting and held a peak of over 60 birds in 1993/94 .

The Pettigoe Plateau also supports an important assemblage of breeding birds including four Annex 1 species, hen harrier, merlin, dunlin, and common tern. Other breeding species include lapwing, curlew and snipe

There is no public access to this site.

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs)

The proposed SAC is one of the largest areas of intact blanket bog remaining in Northern Ireland. The site comprises an extensive area of lowland blanket bog with a large number of well developed pool complexes, frequent acid flushes and basin mires. A notable floristic feature is the abundance of Black Bog-rush on the bog plain.

Pettigoe Plateau has been identified as one of the most important strongholds for breeding Golden Plover in Ireland. In addition, Pettigoe Plateau supports internationally important numbers of wintering Greenland White-fronted Geese, with up to 50 birds regularly using the site for feeding and roosting. The plateau also supports reasonable numbers of Curlew and Snipe, as well as Lapwing, Common Tern  and, most notably, Dunlin, which have been recorded breeding in only one other upland site in Northern Ireland. The site is also one of the few regularly used breeding territories for Hen Harrier, in Northern Ireland and is known to have supported at least two breeding pairs on more than one occasion.