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The site was identified as important in 1999 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
Great Snipe Gallinago media	NT	passage	-	uncommon	A1
Speckle-breasted Woodpecker Dendropicos poecilolaemus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Piapiac Ptilostomus afer	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea	EN	non-breeding	-	present	A1
Purple Starling Lamprotornis purpureus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-bellied Firefinch Lagonosticta rara	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1999) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1999. The most recent assessment (2023) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

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	Not assessed	negligible

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Busia Environmental and Conservation Education Programme	2005

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial	Arable land	-
Grassland	Grassland - edaphic, wet	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Busia grasslands (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/busia-grasslands-iba-kenya on 22/11/2024.