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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Jackson's Spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni	LC	resident (1999)	present	A2, A3
Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus	NT	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Moustached Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fine-banded Woodpecker Campethera taeniolaema	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-tailed Crested-flycatcher Elminia albonotata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-collared Apalis Oreolais pulcher	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A2, A3
Mountain Yellow Warbler Iduna similis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Cinnamon Bracken-warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Brown Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
African Hill-babbler Sylvia abyssinica	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Kikuyu White-eye Zosterops kikuyuensis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Sharpe's Starling Pholia sharpii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Abbott's Starling Arizelopsar femoralis	EN	resident (1999)	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Abyssinian Ground-thrush Geokichla piaggiae	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-browed Citril Crithagra frontalis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3

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
Artificial/Terrestrial	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Savanna	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Forest	moderate (70–90%)	good (>90%)	moderate

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
Pollution	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%)	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
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	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
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Natural system modifications	happe­ning now	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	no or slight decline (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	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
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	A compre­hensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	The conservation measures needed for the site are being compre­hensively and effectively implemented	high

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

Name	Year formed
Kijabe Environmental Volunteers Organisation	1994

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

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Artificial/Terrestrial	-	Forestry & agro-industrial plantations
Forest	-	Montane forest - mixed
Savanna	-	Bamboo - Montane

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
forestry	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Kikuyu Escarpment forest (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kikuyu-escarpment-forest-iba-kenya on 22/12/2024.