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

The site was identified as important in 1999 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species'):

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s)	Population estimate at site	IBA criteria met
Lesser Sandplover Charadrius mongolus	LC	winter	-	1,500 individuals	A4i
Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii	LC	winter	-	1,250 individuals	A4i
Crab-plover Dromas ardeola	LC	non-breeding	-	800 individuals	A4i
Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi	LC	non-breeding	-	5,700 individuals	A4i
Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii	LC	breeding	-	1,500 breeding pairs	A4i

The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (1999).

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Marine Intertidal		0	0	-	moderate (70-90%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - motivation unknown/unrecorded	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	recreational activities	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	problematic native species/diseases - named species	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Pollution	domestic & urban waste water - sewage	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Pollution	garbage & solid waste	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

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)
Watamu	Marine National Park	1,000	protected area contained by site	1,000
Watamu	Marine National Reserve	3,200	protected area overlaps with site	0
Mallindi	Marine National Park	600	protected area contained by site	630
Malindi-Watamu	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	19,600	protected area contained by site	19,600
Malindi-Watamu	Marine National Reserve	24,500	protected area contained by site	24,500
Malindi	Marine National Reserve	21,300	protected area contained by site	0

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-
Forest	Lowland forest - dry deciduous, Lowland forest - dry evergreen	-
Marine Neritic		-
Marine Intertidal		-

For more information about the IUCN Habitat classification, please click here.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mida Creek, Whale Island and the Malindi - Watamu coast. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mida-creek-whale-island-and-the-malindi--watamu-coast-iba-kenya on 30/11/2023.