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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') at the site:

Species	Red List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Jackson's Spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Elgon Francolin Scleroptila elgonensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Nyanza Swift Apus niansae	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus	NT	resident	1999	present	A3
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Moustached Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Fine-banded Woodpecker Campethera taeniolaema	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Doherty's Bushshrike Telophorus dohertyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-tailed Crested-flycatcher Elminia albonotata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-collared Apalis Oreolais pulcher	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri	LC	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Aberdare Cisticola Cisticola aberdare	VU	resident	1999	present	A2, A3
Mountain Yellow Warbler Iduna similis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Cinnamon Bracken-warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
African Hill-babbler Sylvia abyssinica	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Kikuyu White-eye Zosterops kikuyuensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sharpe's Starling Pholia sharpii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abbott's Starling Arizelopsar femoralis	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abyssinian Ground-thrush Geokichla piaggiae	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Moorland Chat Pinarochroa sordida	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Tacazze Sunbird Nectarinia tacazze	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sharpe's Longclaw Macronyx sharpei	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-browed Citril Crithagra frontalis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1999) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1999. The most recent assessment (2023) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Forest	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Kisima Farm Rumuruti	Private Reserve	-
1943	Aberdare	Forest Reserve	54
1943	Kikuyu Escarpment	Forest Reserve	4
1950	Aberdare	National Park	40
1956	Kipipiri	Forest Reserve	2

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
CFAs	2008
Rhino Ark	1998

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

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Montane forest - mixed	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Aberdare Mountains (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/aberdare-mountains-iba-kenya on 22/11/2024.