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

Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 2001

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Yellow-necked Francolin Pternistis leucoscepus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor	NT	breeding	1994	500,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Sombre Nightjar Caprimulgus fraenatus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar Caprimulgus donaldsoni	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Buff-crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri	NT	resident	2000	unknown	A3
Rosy-patched Bush-shrike Rhodophoneus cruentus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Red-throated Tit Melaniparus fringillinus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Ashy Cisticola Cisticola cinereolus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Banded Warbler Curruca boehmi	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Kenya White-eye Zosterops flavilateralis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Scaly Chatterer Argya aylmeri	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca	LC	resident	2000	unknown	A3
Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Black-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda charmosyna	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Steel-blue Whydah Vidua hypocherina	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Swahili Sparrow Passer suahelicus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Pangani Longclaw Macronyx aurantiigula	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
White-bellied Canary Crithagra dorsostriata	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1994	1,000,000-2,499,999 individuals	A4iii

Note: This table presents the IBA criteria triggered and the species that triggered then at the time of assessment, the current IUCN Red List category may vary from that which was in place at that time.

For more information about the IBA assessment process and 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 - small-holder farming	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
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
Climate change and severe weather	drought	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (agricultural use)	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Condition of habitat (state)
Habitat	Habitat Detail	Reference Area (ha)	Actual Area (ha)	% of habitat remaining	% of carrying capacity (overall)	Result
Wetlands (inland)		0	0	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Condition of key/trigger populations (state)
Scientific	Common	TargetPop	ActualPop	Units	Remaining	Result
Phoeniconaias minor	Lesser Flamingo	2500000	285	individuals	1	very unfavourable

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Mto wa Mbu GCA	Game controlled area	121,470	protected area overlaps with site	0
Loliondo GCA	Game controlled area	622,174	protected area is adjacent to site	0
Lake Natron GCA	Game controlled area	775,676	protected area overlaps with site	0
Lake Natron Basin	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	224,781	protected area overlaps with site	154,000
Burko O.A.	Open area	71,527	protected area overlaps with site	0

The local conservation groups below are working to support conservation at this IBA.

Name	Year formed
ILKISONGO PASTORAL INITIATIVES (IPI)	1999

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local conservation groups please click here.

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Artificial/Terrestrial		-
Wetlands (inland)		-
Grassland		-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

Land-use	Extent (% of site)
agriculture	-
tourism/recreation	-
other	-

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

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Natron and Engaruka basin. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 30/01/2023.