Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | LC | non-breeding (-) | 543–1,000 individuals | A4i |
| Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma | LC | non-breeding (-) | 54–500 individuals | A4i |
| Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata | LC | non-breeding (-) | 2,139–5,281 individuals | A4i |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 73–128 individuals | A4i |
| Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 510–5,000 individuals | A4i |
| Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata | LC | non-breeding (-) | 7,425–27,000 individuals | A4i |
| White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus | LC | winter (-) | 2,860 individuals | A4i |
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | LC | winter (-) | 100–1,000 individuals | A1, A4ii |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | non-breeding (-) | 20,000-49,999 individuals | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | unfavourable | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa | 560 / 230 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca | 4,000 / 2,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | 3,000 / 1,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis | 5,000 / 3,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma | 5,000 / 500 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii | 800 / 250 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata | 6,000 / 5,281 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Red-billed Teal Anas erythrorhyncha | 6,000 / 5,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis | 5,000 / 207 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus | 7,000 / 7,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor | 30,000 / 15,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata | 20,000 / 27,000 (individuals) | 75 | near favourable | ||
| African Spoonbill Platalea alba | 150 / 91 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Pink-backed Pelican Pelecanus rufescens | 50 / 50 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus | 200 / 200 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus | 500 / 500 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni | 1,500 / 1,500 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia | 400 / 70 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus | 3,000 / 2,860 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| African Grass-owl Tyto capensis | 20 / 20 (breeding pairs) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius | 5 / 5 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus | 250 / 250 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| African Marsh-harrier Circus ranivorus | 10 / 10 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | 2,500 / 1,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| State (condition of the key species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | unfavourable |
| Wetlands (inland) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | favourable |
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | 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 |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Most of site (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | - | Grassland - highveld |
| Wetlands (inland) | - | Rivers & streams; Freshwater lakes and pools |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | 80 |
| water management | 50 |
| nature conservation and research | 1 |
| forestry | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Barberspan and Leeupan (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/barberspan-and-leeupan-iba-south-africa on 13/01/2025.