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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Western Bronze-naped Pigeon Columba iriditorques	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Blue-headed Wood-dove Turtur brehmeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black Spinetail Telacanthura melanopygia	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bates's Swift Apus batesi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-throated Coucal Centropus leucogaster	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Olive Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx olivinus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Dusky Long-tailed Cuckoo Cercococcyx mechowi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Nkulengu Rail Himantornis haematopus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green Turaco Tauraco persa	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-billed Turaco Tauraco macrorhynchus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-crested Tiger-heron Tigriornis leucolopha	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fraser's Eagle-owl Bubo poensis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Cassin's Hawk-eagle Aquila africana	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Long-tailed Hawk Urotriorchis macrourus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-billed Dwarf Hornbill Lophoceros camurus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Dwarf Hornbill Horizocerus granti	LC	resident (1999)	unknown	A3
West African Pied Hornbill Lophoceros semifasciatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-casqued Hornbill Ceratogymna elata	VU	resident (1999)	present	A1, A3
White-thighed Hornbill Bycanistes albotibialis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Piping Hornbill Bycanistes sharpii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Long-tailed Hornbill Horizocerus cassini	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black Bee-eater Merops gularis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chocolate-backed Kingfisher Halcyon badia	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bristle-nosed Barbet Gymnobucco peli	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Speckled Tinkerbird Pogoniulus scolopaceus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-rumped Tinkerbird Pogoniulus atroflavus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-throated Tinkerbird Pogoniulus subsulphureus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet Trachylaemus purpuratus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Naked-faced Barbet Gymnobucco calvus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Spotted Honeyguide Indicator maculatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Buff-spotted Woodpecker Pardipicus nivosus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Gabon Woodpecker Dendropicos gabonensis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus	EN	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rufous-sided Broadbill Smithornis rufolateralis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Western Black-headed Oriole Oriolus brachyrynchus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Blue Cuckooshrike Cyanograucalus azureus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-spotted Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia tonsa	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia castanea	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Shining Drongo Dicrurus atripennis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Western Crested-flycatcher Trochocercus nitens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey-necked Rockfowl Picathartes oreas	NT	resident (1999)	present	A1, A2, A3
Dusky Crested-flycatcher Elminia nigromitrata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Western Nicator Nicator chloris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green Crombec Sylvietta virens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Lemon-bellied Crombec Sylvietta denti	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Kemp's Longbill Macrosphenus kempi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Longbill Macrosphenus concolor	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Buff-throated Apalis Apalis rufogularis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-browed Camaroptera Camaroptera superciliaris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Olive-green Camaroptera Camaroptera chloronota	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Square-tailed Saw-wing Psalidoprocne nitens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-tailed Bristlebill Bleda syndactylus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Spotted Greenbul Ixonotus guttatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Swamp Palm Bulbul Thescelocichla leucopleura	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-tailed Greenbul Baeopogon clamans	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Greenbul Eurillas gracilis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Ansorge's Greenbul Eurillas ansorgei	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Plain Greenbul Eurillas curvirostris	LC	resident (1999)	unknown	A3
Eastern Bearded Greenbul Criniger chloronotus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-tailed Greenbul Criniger calurus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-bearded Greenbul Criniger ndussumensis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Icterine Greenbul Phyllastrephus icterinus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-capped Flycatcher Erythrocercus mccallii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green Hylia Hylia prasina	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Tit-hylia Pholidornis rushiae	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-winged Starling Onychognathus fulgidus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Purple-headed Starling Hylopsar purpureiceps	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rufous Flycatcher-thrush Stizorhina fraseri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fire-crested Alethe Alethe castanea	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Orange-breasted Forest-robin Stiphrornis erythrothorax	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fraser's Sunbird Deleornis fraseri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey-chinned Sunbird Anthreptes tephrolaemus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Blue-throated Brown Sunbird Cyanomitra cyanolaema	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Buff-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra adelberti	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra rubescens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Johanna's Sunbird Cinnyris johannae	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-mantled Weaver Ploceus tricolor	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-vented Malimbe Malimbus scutatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Blue-billed Malimbe Malimbus nitens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Crested Malimbe Malimbus malimbicus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-breasted Nigrita Nigrita fusconotus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-breasted Nigrita Nigrita bicolor	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Woodhouse's Antpecker Parmoptila woodhousei	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2021) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Transportation and service corridors	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Not assessed	Not assessed	Not assessed	not assessed

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	97
Unknown	1

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
water management	-
other	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Afi River Forest Reserve (Nigeria). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/afi-river-forest-reserve-iba-nigeria on 19/01/2025.