BirdLife Data Zone

KE067

Mutitu Forest

Current view: summary

Country/territory: Kenya

IBA Criteria met: A1, A2 (2016)
For more information about IBA criteria please click here

Area: 1,958 ha

Protection status:

NatureKenya

Site description
Mutitu Forest is situated in Kitui County and it emerges as inselbergs, from arid scrub land vegetation at 800 m plains, rising to about 1580 m above sea level.

The climate is arid and semi-arid with characteristic erratic and unreliable rainfall. Mean annual rainfall ranges from as low as 500 mm in the lowlands to 1050 mm in the hilltop.

The site experiences two rain seasons, long rains between March to June and short rains between October and December. Temperature and evaporation rates are generally high with February and September being the hottest months of the year. Minimum mean annual temperatures vary between 14⁰C to 22⁰C while maximum mean annual temperatures vary between 26⁰C to 34⁰C.

Key biodiversity
The Hills are important for raptors and some Afro tropical and Palaearctic migrants. It hosts Hinde's Pied-babbler and Martial Eagle (Vulnerable) and the Pallid Harrier (Near Threatened), which are species of of conservation concern.

A total of eight species of reptiles and amphibians have been recorded too.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2019) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Mutitu Forest. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 18/10/2019.