Data Zone
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea | EN | breeding (1998) | present | A1 |
| Buff-streaked Chat Campicoloides bifasciatus | LC | resident (1998) | present | A1 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2012 | very poor | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | population | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Blue Swallow Hirundo atrocaerulea | 12 / 40 (birds) | 30 | very poor | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Forest | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| 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%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | likely in long term (>4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | whole of population/area (>90%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Most of area (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 100 | |
| Introduced vegetation | 75 | |
| Grassland | 25 |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| forestry | 25 |
| water management | 20 |
| nature conservation and research | 3 |
| agriculture | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Graskop Grasslands (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/graskop-grasslands-iba-south-africa on 27/12/2024.