Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2015 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor | NT | non-breeding (-) | common | A1 |
| Burchell's Sandgrouse Pterocles burchelli | LC | resident (2010–2014) | uncommon | A3 |
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | resident (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii | EN | resident (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| Blue Bustard Eupodotis caerulescens | NT | resident (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius | EN | resident (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus | CR | breeding (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| Lappet-faced Vulture Torgos tracheliotos | EN | non-breeding (2010–2014) | present | A1 |
| Kalahari Scrub-robin Cercotrichas paena | LC | resident (2010–2014) | present | A3 |
| White-breasted Sunbird Cinnyris talatala | LC | resident (2010–2014) | present | A3 |
| Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius | LC | resident (2010–2014) | present | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2015. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | moderate | medium | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor | 1,500 / 500 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | 7 / 8 (birds) | 88 | moderate | ||
| Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii | 20 / 20 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Blue Bustard Eupodotis caerulescens | 8 / 8 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius | 2 / 6 (birds) | 34 | very poor | ||
| White-backed Vulture Gyps africanus | 15 / 20 (pairs) | 75 | moderate | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Savanna | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Wetlands (inland) | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | 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 | low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Savanna | - | |
| Wetlands (inland) | - | Saltpans |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Benfontein (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/benfontein-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.