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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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.

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

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii	EN	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Bustard Heterotetrax vigorsii	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black Harrier Circus maurus	EN	resident (-)	present	A1
Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black-eared Sparrow-lark Eremopterix australis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Red Lark Calendulauda burra	VU	resident (1998)	present	A1, A2, A3
Sclater's Lark Spizocorys sclateri	NT	resident (1998)	present	A1, A3
Stark's Lark Spizocorys starki	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Eremomela Eremomela gregalis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomea	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Chat Emarginata schlegelii	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Sickle-winged Chat Emarginata sinuata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black-headed Canary Serinus alario	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2014) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Desert	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (>4 years)	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% 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%)	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	very low

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Grassland	99
Desert	-	Desert dunes; Gravel and sand plains
Shrubland	-	Scrub - woodland
Wetlands (inland)	-	Saltpans

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
water management	30
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Bitterputs Conservation Area (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/bitterputs-conservation-area-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.