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Year of most recent IBA criteria assessment: 1998

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species	Current IUCN Red List Category	Season	Year(s) of estimate	Population estimate	IBA Criteria Triggered
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	VU	resident	-	present	A1
Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix	LC	resident	1998	present	A2, A3
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	VU	resident	1998	present	A1, A3
Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres	VU	resident	-	660-773 breeding pairs	A1, A4ii
Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres	VU	non-breeding	-	1,400-1,500 individuals	A4ii
Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus	NT	resident	1998	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Olive Bush-shrike Chlorophoneus olivaceus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Barratt's Warbler Bradypterus barratti	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea	VU	breeding	1998	unknown	A3
Yellow-throated Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Bush Blackcap Sylvia nigricapillus	VU	resident	1998	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Brown Scrub-robin Tychaedon signata	LC	resident	1998	present	A2
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Chorister Robin-chat Cossypha dichroa	LC	resident	1998	present	A2, A3
Buff-streaked Chat Campicoloides bifasciatus	LC	resident	1998	present	A1, A3
Gurney's Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi	NT	resident	1998	present	A3
Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Forest Canary Crithagra scotops	LC	resident	1998	present	A2, A3

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	wood and pulp plantations (includes afforestation) - agro-industry plantations	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Conservation actions taken at site (response)
Conservation Designation	Management Planning	Conservation Action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Unknown	low

For more information about IBA monitoring please click here

Protected Area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Kruger to Canyons	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	2,874,810	protected area contains site	50,000
Blyderivierspoort Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	53,731	protected area contained by site	25,161

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Grassland	Grassland - montane	-
Forest	Montane forest - mixed	-

For further information about the habitat classification please click here.

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

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2022) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Blyde River Canyon. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 17/05/2022.