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The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	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

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1998) may differ.

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%)	unfavourable
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Biological resource use	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	negligible

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		99
Desert	Desert dunes, Gravel and sand plains	-
Shrubland	Scrub - woodland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Saltpans	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 23/11/2024.