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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
Knysna Turaco Tauraco corythaix	LC	resident	1998	common	A2, A3
Forest Buzzard Buteo trizonatus	NT	resident	1998	common	A3
Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus	NT	resident	2010-2014	present	A1
Southern Ground-hornbill Bucorvus leadbeateri	VU	resident	2010-2014	present	A1
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	LC	resident	1998	common	A3
Olive Bushshrike Chlorophoneus olivaceus	LC	resident	1998	common	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	present	A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident	1998	common	A3
Chorister Robin-chat Cossypha dichroa	LC	resident	1998	common	A2, A3
Swee Waxbill Coccopygia melanotis	LC	resident	1998	common	A3
Forest Canary Crithagra scotops	LC	resident	1998	common	A2, A3

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 (2014) is shown below.

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

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high

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)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1994	Ngele Nature Reserve	Forest Nature Reserve	10
2013	Weza Protected Environment	Protected Environment	1
2015	Fort Nottingham Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	2
2015	Dargle Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Montane forest - mixed	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
fisheries/aquaculture	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: KwaZulu-Natal Mistbelt Forests (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/kwazulu-natal-mistbelt-forests-iba-south-africa on 23/11/2024.