• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 1999

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population at site	IBA criteria triggered
Jackson's Francolin Pternistis jacksoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Elgon Francolin Scleroptila elgonensis	NT	resident	1999	present	A3
Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Nyanza Swift Apus niansae	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
African Long-eared Owl Asio abyssinicus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus	NT	resident	1999	present	A3
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Moustached Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Fine-banded Woodpecker Campethera taeniolaema	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	passage	2010	present	A1
Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Doherty's Bush-shrike Telophorus dohertyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-tailed Crested-flycatcher Elminia albonotata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-collared Apalis Oreolais pulcher	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri	LC	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Mountain Yellow Warbler Iduna similis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Cinnamon Bracken-warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
African Hill-babbler Sylvia abyssinica	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Kikuyu White-eye Zosterops kikuyuensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sharpe's Starling Pholia sharpii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Kenrick's Starling Poeoptera kenricki	LC	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Abbott's Starling Arizelopsar femoralis	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abyssinian Ground-thrush Geokichla piaggiae	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Little Rock-thrush Monticola rufocinereus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Moorland Chat Pinarochroa sordida	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Tacazze Sunbird Nectarinia tacazze	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sharpe's Longclaw Macronyx sharpei	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-browed Citril Crithagra frontalis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

Note: The current IUCN Red List category may differ from the category that was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment.

For more information about the IBA criteria, please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - agro-industry farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - small-holder farming	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - intentional use: subsistence/sml scale	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	gathering terrestrial plants - motivation unknown/unrecorded	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Biological resource use	hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Biological resource use	logging & wood harvesting - intentional use: subsistence/small scale	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	drought	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - unspecified species	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	fire & fire suppression - trend unknown/unrecorded	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - type unknown/unrecorded	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	garbage & solid waste	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Transportation and service corridors	flight paths	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	roads and railroads	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Condition of the site (state), by habitat
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Forest	Montane forest - undifferentiated	0	0	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at the site (response)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

Protected area (PA)	PA designation	PA area (ha)	Relationship of PA with IBA	Overlap of PA with IBA (ha)
Mt. Kenya	National Park	70,472	protected area contained by site	58,967
Mt. Kenya	National Reserve	212,400	protected area overlaps with site	0
Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest	World Heritage Site (natural or mixed)	202,334	protected area overlaps with site	142,020
Mount Kenya	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	71,759	protected area contained by site	71,759
Mount Kenya	Forest Reserve	200,974	protected area overlaps with site	200,974
Imenti or Upper Imenti	Forest Reserve	12,199	protected area is adjacent to site	0

The Local Conservation Groups below are working to support conservation at this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Mt Kenya Biodiversity Conservation Group	1999

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Forest	Montane forest - undifferentiated	-

For further information about the IUCN habitat classification, please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

For further information about the land-use classification, please click here.

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Kenya. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/6395 on 01/06/2023.