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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 at site	IBA criteria triggered
African Penguin Spheniscus demersus	EN	resident	-	4,000-5,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4ii
African Penguin Spheniscus demersus	EN	non-breeding	-	8,000-14,000 individuals	A1, A4ii
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus	LC	resident	-	40-108 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus	LC	non-breeding	-	300 individuals	A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	EN	resident	-	1,000-3,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	EN	non-breeding	-	5,000-10,000 individuals	A1, A4i
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus	EN	resident	-	57-106 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus	EN	non-breeding	-	180-250 individuals	A1, A4i
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini	LC	resident	-	20-35 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini	LC	non-breeding	-	40-90 individuals	A1, A4i
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	LC	breeding	-	1,000-4,309 breeding pairs	A4i
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	LC	non-breeding	-	5,000-10,000 individuals	A4i
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii	LC	breeding	-	2,300 breeding pairs	A4i
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii	LC	non-breeding	-	500-3,000 individuals	A4i
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	resident	-	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii

Note: The current IUCN Red List category may differ from the category that was valid at the time of IBA criteria assessment.

For more information about the IBA criteria, please click here

Threats to the site (pressure)
Threat level 1	Threat level 2	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	fishing & harvesting aquatic resources - unintentional effects: large scale	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Biological resource use	logging & wood harvesting - unintentional effects: subsistence/small scale	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Climate change and severe weather	storms and floods	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	introduced genetic material	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Natural system modifications	fire & fire suppression - increase in fire frequency/intensity	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	other ecosystem modifications	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	industrial & military effluents - oil spills	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	housing and urban areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	tourism and recreation areas	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Transportation and service corridors	flight paths	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Transportation and service corridors	roads and railroads	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Condition of the site (state), by habitat
Habitat	Habitat detail	Reference area (ha)	Actual area (ha)	Habitat quantity (% remaining)	Habitat quality (carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	Shrubland - Cape (fynbos)	0	0	very poor (< 40%)	very poor (< 40%)	very unfavourable

Condition of the site (state), by species
Scientific name	Common name	Reference population	Actual population	Units	% of population remaining	Result
Spheniscus demersus	African Penguin	5000	1669	breeding pairs	34	very unfavourable
Microcarbo coronatus	Crowned Cormorant	108	74	breeding pairs	69	unfavourable
Phalacrocorax neglectus	Bank Cormorant	106	93	breeding pairs	88	near favourable
Haematopus moquini	African Oystercatcher	35	250	breeding pairs	100	favourable

Conservation actions taken at the site (response)
Protected-area designation	Management planning	Other conservation action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

For more information about IBA conservation status, please click here

IUCN Habitat	Habitat detail	Extent (% of site)
Shrubland	Shrubland - Cape (fynbos)	-
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		-

For further information about the IUCN habitat classification, please click here.

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

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2023) Important Bird Area factsheet: Robben Island. Downloaded from http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/7164 on 01/06/2023.