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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
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	VU	resident (-)	present	A1
Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix	LC	resident (1998)	present	A2, A3
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	NT	resident (1998)	present	A1, A3
Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres	VU	resident (-)	660–773 pairs	A1, A4ii
Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres	VU	non-breeding (-)	1,400–1,500 birds	A1, A4ii
Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus	NT	resident (1998)	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Olive Bushshrike Chlorophoneus olivaceus	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Barratt's Warbler Bradypterus barratti	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea	EN	breeding (1998)	present	A1, A3
Yellow-throated Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Bush Blackcap Sylvia nigricapillus	VU	resident (1998)	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Brown Scrub-robin Tychaedon signata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A2
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Chorister Robin-chat Cossypha dichroa	LC	resident (1998)	present	A2, A3
Buff-streaked Chat Campicoloides bifasciatus	LC	resident (1998)	present	A1, A3
Gurney's Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi	NT	resident (1998)	present	A3
Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Forest Canary Crithagra scotops	LC	resident (1998)	present	A2, 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 (1998) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Unknown	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
2001	Kruger to Canyons	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA)	100

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-	Montane forest - mixed
Grassland	-	Grassland - montane

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	59
forestry	40
water management	15
tourism/recreation	-
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Blyde River Canyon (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/blyde-river-canyon-iba-south-africa on 22/12/2024.