Data Zone
The site was identified as important in 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | LC | non-breeding | - | 350-854 individuals | A4i |
| Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii | LC | non-breeding | - | 162-353 individuals | A4i |
| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis | LC | non-breeding | - | 344-1,022 individuals | A4i |
| Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii | EN | resident | 1998 | present | A3 |
| Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis | EN | resident | - | 831-5,000 breeding pairs | A1, A4i |
| Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis | EN | non-breeding | - | 7,500-10,000 individuals | A1, A4i |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | LC | non-breeding | - | 402-588 individuals | A4i |
| Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii | LC | non-breeding | - | 1,152-2,511 individuals | A4i |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | LC | breeding | - | 85-150 breeding pairs | A4i |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | LC | non-breeding | - | 1,036-1,676 individuals | A4i |
| Damara Tern Sternula balaenarum | LC | breeding | - | common | A1 |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | winter | - | 10,000 individuals | A4i |
| Cape Long-billed Lark Certhilauda curvirostris | LC | resident | 1998 | present | A3 |
| Dune Lark Calendulauda erythrochlamys | LC | resident | 1998 | present | A3 |
| Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup | LC | resident | 1998 | present | A3 |
| Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac | LC | resident | 1998 | present | A3 |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | non-breeding | - | 20,000-49,999 individuals | A4iii |
The current IUCN Red List category may differ from that which was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment (1998).
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment (most recent) | State (condition) | Pressure (threat) | Response (action) |
| 2014 | very unfavourable | very high | low |
| Was the whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Habitat detail | Reference area (ha) | Actual area (ha) | Habitat quantity (% remaining) | Habitat quality (carrying capacity) | Result |
| Desert | Coastal desert | 0 | 0 | very poor (< 40%) | poor (40-69%) | very unfavourable |
| Wetlands (inland) | Estuarine waters | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | moderate (70-90%) | near favourable |
| Wetlands (inland) | Intertidal mud, sand or salt flats | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | moderate (70-90%) | near favourable |
| Wetlands (inland) | Salt marshes | 0 | 0 | good (> 90%) | moderate (70-90%) | near favourable |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat level 1 | Threat level 2 | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - small-holder grazing, ranching or farming | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Biological resource use | fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - intentional use: lg scale | 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%) | no or imperceptible deterioration | low |
| Biological resource use | hunting & collecting terrestrial animals - intentional use (species being assessed is the target) | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | drought | happening now | whole area/population (>90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | habitat shifting and alteration | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | whole area/population (>90%) | very rapid to severe deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | storms and floods | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | whole area/population (>90%) | very rapid to severe deterioration | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | temperature extremes | likely in short term (within 4 years) | whole area/population (>90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Energy production and mining | mining and quarrying | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| 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 | invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - named species | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | problematic native species/diseases - named species | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Natural system modifications | dams & water management/use - abstraction of surface water (commercial use) | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Natural system modifications | dams & water management/use - large dams | happening now | whole area/population (>90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | very high |
| Natural system modifications | other ecosystem modifications | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Pollution | agricultural & forestry effluents - nutrient loads | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Pollution | air-borne pollutants - type unknown/unrecorded | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | flight paths | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | utility & service lines | happening now | small area/few individuals (<10%) | no or imperceptible deterioration | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Protected-area designation | Management planning | Other conservation action | Result |
| Little/none of site covered (<10%) | A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Protected area (PA) | PA designation | PA area (ha) | Relationship of PA with IBA | Overlap of PA with IBA (ha) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orange River Mouth Wetland | Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance | 4,366 | protected area overlaps with site | 2,000 |
| Habitat (IUCN level 1) | Habitat detail | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | - | |
| Wetlands (inland) | Rivers & streams, Permanent herbaceous swamps and bogs, Freshwater lakes and pools, Ephemeral pools and wetlands | - |
| Desert | Coastal desert | - |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Marine Neritic | - |
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| water management | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Orange River Mouth Wetlands. Downloaded from
http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/orange-river-mouth-wetlands-iba-south-africa on 03/10/2023.
