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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
Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-necked Francolin Pternistis leucoscepus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sombre Nightjar Caprimulgus fraenatus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Donaldson-Smith's Nightjar Caprimulgus donaldsoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Somali Bee-eater Merops revoilii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Pringle's Puffback Dryoscopus pringlii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Three-streaked Tchagra Tchagra jamesi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Rosy-patched Bush-shrike Rhodophoneus cruentus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Somali Tit Melaniparus thruppi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit Anthoscopus musculus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark Eremopterix signatus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Pink-breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-winged Lark Mirafra hypermetra	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Somali Crombec Sylvietta isabellina	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-vented Eremomela Eremomela flavicrissalis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Ashy Cisticola Cisticola cinereolus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Tiny Cisticola Cisticola nana	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Banded Warbler Curruca boehmi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Kenya White-eye Zosterops flavilateralis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Scaly Chatterer Argya aylmeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hinde's Babbler Turdoides hindei	VU	resident	-	present	A1, A2, A3
Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Shelley's Starling Lamprotornis shelleyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Golden-breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Fischer's Starling Lamprotornis fischeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Bare-eyed Thrush Turdus tephronotus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris nectarinioides	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Shining Sunbird Cinnyris habessinicus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-headed Buffalo-weaver Dinemellia dinemelli	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-capped Social-weaver Pseudonigrita cabanisi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Fire-fronted Bishop Euplectes diadematus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Golden Palm Weaver Ploceus bojeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-cheeked Waxbill Estrilda charmosyna	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey-headed Silverbill Odontospiza griseicapilla	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Steel-blue Whydah Vidua hypocherina	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Pangani Longclaw Macronyx aurantiigula	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Somali Bunting Emberiza poliopleura	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

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
Shrubland		0	0	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	annual & perennial non-timber crops - small-holder farming	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	livestock farming and ranching (includes forest grazing) - nomadic grazing	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Biological resource use	logging & wood harvesting - intentional use: subsistence/small scale	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Climate change and severe weather	drought	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	habitat shifting and alteration	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	invasive non-native/alien species/diseases - unspecified species	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	fire & fire suppression - increase in fire frequency/intensity	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	other ecosystem modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	agricultural & forestry effluents - soil erosion, sedimentation	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Most of site (50-90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	low

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)
Meru	National Park	87,000	protected area overlaps with site	87,000
Bisanadi	National Reserve	60,600	protected area overlaps with site	0

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

Name	Year formed
Ameru Cultural Group	0

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

Habitat (IUCN level 1)	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Artificial/Terrestrial		-
Shrubland		-
Grassland		-
Forest		-

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

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Meru National Park. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/meru-national-park-iba-kenya on 06/12/2023.