KE065
Hell's Gate National Park This is an IBA in Danger! 


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2014 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 Vulture Gyps africanus CR resident (2010) present A1
Rüppell's Vulture Gyps rueppelli CR resident (2010) present A1
Grey-crested Helmetshrike Prionops poliolophus NT resident (2010) present A1, A2

IBA Conservation

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2014. The most recent assessment (2023) is shown below.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
2023 poor very high medium
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes habitat good

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat Quantity (% remaining) Quality (% carrying capacity) Result
Savanna moderate (70–90%) moderate (70–90%) poor
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) good (>90%) good (>90%) good

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Energy production and mining 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
Invasive and other problematic species and genes happe­ning now most of popul­ation/area (50–90%) moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations) high
Pollution happe­ning now most of popul­ation/area (50–90%) moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations) high
Geological events happe­ning now most of popul­ation/area (50–90%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) high
Natural system modifications happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations) high
Human intrusions and disturbance happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Transportation and service corridors happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Biological resource use happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Climate change and severe weather happe­ning now 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
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not compre­hensive Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not compre­hensive and are limited by resources and capacity medium

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
1984 Hell's Gate National Park (II) 32

Habitats

Habitat % of IBA Habitat detail
Savanna major (>10) Bushland & thicket - evergreen
Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) minor (<10) Inselbergs, kopjes & inland cliffs; Scree, boulders & bare rock

Land use

Land use % of IBA
nature conservation and research major (>10)
tourism/recreation minor (<10)

Land ownership
The land is owned by Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS). KWS have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Ken Gen (Kenya Electricity Generation Company Ltd), the leading electric power generating company in Kenya, although the details of the MoU are unknown and unavailable to anyone other than the two parties involved.



Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Hell's Gate National Park (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/hells-gate-national-park-iba-kenya on 23/12/2024.