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

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2015 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
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus	LC	breeding (1998)	50–150 pairs	A4i
Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa	EN	breeding (1998)	50–150 pairs	A1, A4i
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma	LC	non-breeding (1998)	500–1,000 birds	A4i
Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii	LC	non-breeding (1998)	200–600 birds	A4i
African Black Duck Anas sparsa	LC	non-breeding (1998)	400–1,000 birds	A4i
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata	LC	breeding (1998)	5,000–10,000 pairs	A4i
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis	LC	breeding (1998)	200–2,000 pairs	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	breeding (1998)	100–200 pairs	A4i
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	breeding (1998)	50–100 pairs	A4i
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
White-winged Flufftail Sarothrura ayresi	CR	non-breeding (1998)	30–70 birds	A1, A4i
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata	LC	breeding (1998)	12,000–18,000 pairs	A4i
Grey Crowned Crane Balearica regulorum	EN	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	VU	resident (1998)	common	A1
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	VU	breeding (1998)	100–200 pairs	A1, A4i
Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami	NT	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Blue Bustard Eupodotis caerulescens	NT	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix	LC	resident (1998)	uncommon	A3
Black Stork Ciconia nigra	LC	breeding (1998)	3–10 pairs	A4i
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	NT	breeding (1998)	500 pairs	A1, A3, A4i
Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash	LC	breeding (1998)	500–5,000 pairs	A4i
Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus	LC	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus	LC	resident (1998)	200 pairs	A4i
Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus	LC	breeding (1998)	300–500 pairs	A4i
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis	LC	breeding (1998)	500–1,000 pairs	A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	winter (1998)	1,000–5,000 birds	A1, A4i
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus	LC	winter (1998)	2,500–10,000 birds	A4i
Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius	EN	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus	EN	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Black Harrier Circus maurus	EN	resident (2010–2014)	present	A1
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus	NT	winter (2010–2014)	present	A1
Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus	NT	resident (2010–2014)	present	A3
Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus	NT	resident (1998)	present	A1
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	winter (1998)	1,000–5,000 birds	A4ii
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
Olive Bushshrike Chlorophoneus olivaceus	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
Rudd's Lark Heteromirafra ruddi	EN	resident (1998)	uncommon	A1, A2, A3
Botha's Lark Spizocorys fringillaris	EN	resident (1998)	uncommon	A1, A2, A3
Barratt's Warbler Bradypterus barratti	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
Yellow-throated Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
Bush Blackcap Sylvia nigricapillus	VU	resident (1998)	uncommon	A1, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident (1998)	uncommon	A3
Chorister Robin-chat Cossypha dichroa	LC	resident (1998)	uncommon	A3
Buff-streaked Chat Campicoloides bifasciatus	LC	resident (1998)	common	A1, A3
Gurney's Sugarbird Promerops gurneyi	NT	resident (1998)	uncommon	A3
Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
Yellow-breasted Pipit Hemimacronyx chloris	VU	resident (1998)	uncommon	A1, A2, A3
Forest Canary Crithagra scotops	LC	resident (1998)	common	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding (1998)	50,000-99,999 birds	A4iii

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2015. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Actual vs Reference (units)	% remaining	Result
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	7 / 15 (birds)	47	not assessed
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	150 / 200 (birds)	75	not assessed

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Grassland	moderate (70–90%)	poor (40–69%)	very poor
Wetlands (inland)	poor (40–69%)	poor (40–69%)	very poor
Forest	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Residential and commercial development	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%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (>4 years)	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
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%)	A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

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

Name	Year formed
Wakkerstrrom Site Support Group	2007

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit Spotlight on local empowerment.

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-	Montane forest - mixed
Grassland	-	Grassland - edaphic, wet
Wetlands (inland)	-	Rivers & streams; Ephemeral pools and wetlands

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	10
nature conservation and research	6
water management	1
agriculture	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Grasslands (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/grasslands-iba-south-africa on 22/12/2024.