• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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
Abbott's Starling Arizelopsar femoralis	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2

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
Forest	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Savanna	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%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Geological events	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	West Chyulu East Game Conservastion Area	Private Wildlife Sanctuary	-
1948	Tsavo West	National Park	5
1983	Chyulu Hills	National Park	28

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Montane forest - undifferentiated	-
Savanna	Wooded grassland	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-
other	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Chyulu Hills forests (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/chyulu-hills-forests-iba-kenya on 23/11/2024.