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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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.

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

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Spur-winged Goose Plectropterus gambensis	LC	non-breeding (-)	3,750 birds	A4i
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	VU	non-breeding (-)	145 birds	A1, A4i
African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus	LC	non-breeding (-)	1,000 birds	A4i
African Spoonbill Platalea alba	LC	non-breeding (-)	150 birds	A4i
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis	LC	non-breeding (-)	10,000 birds	A4i
Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula	VU	non-breeding (-)	present	A1
Long-tailed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus	LC	non-breeding (-)	5,000 birds	A4i
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius	LC	non-breeding (-)	1,000 birds	A4i
Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus	LC	winter (-)	200 birds	A4i
Ruff Calidris pugnax	LC	winter (-)	20,000 birds	A4i
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis	LC	non-breeding (-)	500 birds	A4i
Great Snipe Gallinago media	NT	winter (-)	300 birds	A1, A4i
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris	LC	non-breeding (-)	100 birds	A1, A4i
Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus	LC	non-breeding (-)	1,000 birds	A4i
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida	LC	non-breeding (-)	150 birds	A4i
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus	LC	winter (-)	2,000 birds	A4i
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus	NT	winter (-)	present	A1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	winter (-)	present	A1

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2005) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Grassland	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Natural system modifications	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Some of area covered (10–49%)	Unknown	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1971	West Zambezi	Game Management Area (VI)	33

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Shrubland	46
Grassland	40
Forest	12

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
hunting	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Barotse Floodplains (Zambia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/barotse-floodplains-iba-zambia on 23/12/2024.