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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
Sabine's Spinetail Rhaphidura sabini	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-spotted Flufftail Sarothrura pulchra	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-chested Owlet Glaucidium tephronotum	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Blue-headed Bee-eater Merops muelleri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-billed Barbet Trachylaemus purpuratus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-spotted Barbet Buccanodon duchaillui	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Hairy-breasted Barbet Tricholaema hirsuta	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Cassin's Honeybird Prodotiscus insignis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Buff-spotted Woodpecker Pardipicus nivosus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown-eared Woodpecker Pardipicus caroli	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-crested Woodpecker Dendropicos xantholophus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey Parrot Psittacus erithacus	EN	resident	1999	present	A3
Western Black-headed Oriole Oriolus brachyrynchus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Petit's Cuckooshrike Campephaga petiti	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
African Shrike-flycatcher Megabyas flammulatus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Jameson's Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia jamesoni	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chestnut Wattle-eye Dyaphorophyia castanea	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Bocage's Bushshrike Chlorophoneus bocagei	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-bellied Paradise-flycatcher Terpsiphone rufiventer	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Dusky Tit Melaniparus funereus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Turner's Eremomela Eremomela turneri	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A3
Buff-throated Apalis Apalis rufogularis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Tawny-breasted Camaroptera Camaroptera toroensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-tailed Bristlebill Bleda syndactylus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Honeyguide Greenbul Baeopogon indicator	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey Greenbul Eurillas gracilis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Ansorge's Greenbul Eurillas ansorgei	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Plain Greenbul Eurillas curvirostris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Toro Olive Greenbul Phyllastrephus hypochloris	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Uganda Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus budongoensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Green Hylia Hylia prasina	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown Illadopsis Illadopsis fulvescens	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Scaly-breasted Illadopsis Illadopsis albipectus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-tailed Ant-thrush Neocossyphus poensis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chapin's Flycatcher Fraseria lendu	VU	resident	1999	present	A1, A2
Blue-shouldered Robin-chat Cossypha cyanocampter	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Grey-chinned Sunbird Anthreptes tephrolaemus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Green-throated Sunbird Chalcomitra rubescens	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Vieillot's Black Weaver Ploceus nigerrimus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-headed Malimbe Malimbus rubricollis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

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

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
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	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Geological events	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	low
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Most of site (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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Buyanga	Forest Reserve	-
1933	Kakamega	Forest Reserve	97
1985	Kakamega	National Reserve	24

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

Name	Year formed
Kakamega Forest Guides Association	1995
KEEP	1995
Mureshi community Forest association	2007

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Mid-altitude forest - transitional	65
Grassland	Grassland - secondary	25
Artificial/Terrestrial		10

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kakamega forest (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kakamega-forest-iba-kenya on 22/11/2024.