Data Zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | LC | non-breeding | - | 229-787 individuals | A4i |
| Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma | LC | non-breeding | - | 326-1,132 individuals | A4i |
| Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii | LC | non-breeding | - | 172-404 individuals | A4i |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | LC | non-breeding | - | 62-152 individuals | A4i |
| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis | LC | non-breeding | - | 68-1,100 individuals | A4i |
| Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata | LC | non-breeding | - | 18,283-36,000 individuals | A4i |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | non-breeding | - | 20,000-49,999 individuals | A4iii |
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 (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | unfavourable | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | - | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Reference | Actual | Units | % remaining | Result |
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | 787 | 11 | individuals | 2 | very unfavourable |
| Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma | 1,132 | 50 | individuals | 5 | very unfavourable |
| Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata | 1,443 | 2,500 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | 152 | 341 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis | 1,100 | 201 | individuals | 19 | very unfavourable |
| Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus | 1,197 | 2,890 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata | 36,000 | 18,000 | individuals | 50 | unfavourable |
| African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini | 9 | 102 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea | 4,014 | 647 | individuals | 17 | very unfavourable |
| Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii | 193 | 954 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia | 41 | 296 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| African Marsh-harrier Circus ranivorus | 4 | 10 | individuals | 100 | favourable |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | moderate (70-90%) | moderate (70-90%) | unfavourable |
| Shrubland | moderate (70-90%) | moderate (70-90%) | unfavourable |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Pollution | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | moderate to rapid deterioration | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | majority/most of area/population (50-90%) | slow but significant deterioration | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of area/population (10-49%) | slow but significant deterioration | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | 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 |
| Some of site covered (10-49%) | A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation | % overlap with IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | Fernkloof Nature Reserve | Nature Reserve | 2 |
| 1985 | Hoek van de Berg Private Nature Reserve | Nature Reserve | 2 |
| 1995 | Oude Bosch Private Nature Reserve | Nature Reserve | 1 |
| 1998 | Kogelberg Biosphere Reserve | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve | 11 |
| 2001 | Coppull Private Nature Reserve | Nature Reserve | <1 |
| 2002 | Rooisand Provincial Nature Reserve | Nature Reserve | 1 |
| Habitat1 | Habitat detail | % of IBA |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 4 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) | |
| Shrubland | Shrubland - Cape (fynbos) | major (>10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Cape Whale Coast (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/cape-whale-coast-iba-south-africa on 23/11/2024.