Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | 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 |
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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2023 | poor | high | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | likely in long term (>4 years) | 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 |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management planning has taken place | Not assessed | very low |
The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.
| Name | Year formed |
|---|---|
| Busia Environmental and Conservation Education Programme | 2005 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | - | Arable land |
| Grassland | - | Grassland - edaphic, wet |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
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 23/12/2024.