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

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus	LC	breeding	1998	50-150 breeding pairs	A4i
Maccoa Duck Oxyura maccoa	EN	breeding	1998	50-150 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma	LC	non-breeding	1998	500-1,000 individuals	A4i
Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii	LC	non-breeding	1998	200-600 individuals	A4i
African Black Duck Anas sparsa	LC	non-breeding	1998	400-1,000 individuals	A4i
Yellow-billed Duck Anas undulata	LC	breeding	1998	5,000-10,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis	LC	breeding	1998	200-2,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	breeding	1998	100-200 breeding pairs	A4i
Black-necked Grebe Podiceps nigricollis	LC	breeding	1998	50-100 breeding pairs	A4i
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
White-winged Flufftail Sarothrura ayresi	CR	non-breeding	1998	30-70 individuals	A1, A4i
Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata	LC	breeding	1998	12,000-18,000 breeding 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 breeding 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 breeding pairs	A4i
Southern Bald Ibis Geronticus calvus	NT	breeding	1998	500 breeding pairs	A1, A3, A4i
Hadada Ibis Bostrychia hagedash	LC	breeding	1998	500-5,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Chestnut-banded Plover Charadrius pallidus	LC	resident	2010-2014	present	A1
Black-winged Lapwing Vanellus melanopterus	LC	resident	1998	200 breeding pairs	A4i
Wattled Lapwing Vanellus senegallus	LC	breeding	1998	300-500 breeding pairs	A4i
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis	LC	breeding	1998	500-1,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	winter	1998	1,000-5,000 individuals	A1, A4i
White-winged Tern Chlidonias leucopterus	LC	winter	1998	2,500-10,000 individuals	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 individuals	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 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2015) may differ.

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	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus	15	7	individuals	47	not assessed
Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus	200	150	individuals	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 unfavourable
Wetlands (inland)	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Forest	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	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
Pollution	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	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
Little/none of site covered (<10%)	A management plan exists but it is out of date or not comprehensive	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1967	Uithoek Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1969	Lotterkrantz Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1972	Pongola Bush Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1986	Majuba Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1989	Ncandu Nature Reserve	Forest Nature Reserve	<1
1995	Potberg Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1996	Paardeplaats Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1997	Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
1997	Seekoeivlei Nature Reserve	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	<1
1997	Rosedale Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
2000	Zeekoevlei Local Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	-
2002	Balele/Enlanzeni Valley Game Park	Nature Reserve	<1
2002	Emlwane Game Park Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
2010	KwaMandlangampisi Protected Environment	Protected Environment	3
2013	Pongola Bush Protected Environment	Protected Environment	1
2013	Ncandu Private Forest and Grassland Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
2014	Mabola Protected Environment	Protected Environment	1
2014	Tafelkop Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	<1
2016	Sneeuwberg Protected Environment	Protected Environment	1

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 click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Montane forest - mixed	-
Grassland	Grassland - edaphic, wet	-
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Ephemeral pools and wetlands	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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 22/11/2024.