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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1999 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
Yellow-necked Spurfowl 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
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-headed Mousebird Colius leucocephalus	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
Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rosy-patched Bushshrike 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
Red-throated Tit Melaniparus fringillinus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Pink-breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	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
Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti	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
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Taveta Golden Weaver Ploceus castaneiceps	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Speke's Weaver Ploceus spekei	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
Grey-headed Silverbill Spermestes 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
Southern Grosbeak-canary Crithagra buchanani	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-bellied Canary Crithagra dorsostriata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3

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 key species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Savanna	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	unfavourable
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	unfavourable
Forest	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happen­ing now	whole popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Residential and commercial development	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	high
Biological resource use	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	high
Natural system modifications	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	high
Pollution	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	high
Transportation and service corridors	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happen­ing now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	moderate deteri­oration (10–30% in 3 gener­ations)	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	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
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	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1974	Amboseli	National Park (II)	100
1991	Amboseli National Park	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA)	100

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-	Woodland - mixed
Savanna	-	Wooded grassland
Wetlands (inland)	-	Freshwater lakes and pools; Permanent herbaceous swamps and bogs

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Amboseli National Park (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/amboseli-national-park-iba-kenya on 22/01/2025.