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The site was identified as important in 1996 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
Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor	NT	non-breeding	1969-1974	20,000-49,999 individuals	A1, A4i
Sombre Nightjar Caprimulgus fraenatus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar Caprimulgus donaldsoni	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Star-spotted Nightjar Caprimulgus stellatus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Heuglin's Bustard Neotis heuglinii	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Buff-crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
African Openbill Anastomus lamelligerus	LC	non-breeding	1974	1,000-2,499 individuals	A4i
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Somali Bee-eater Merops revoilii	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Red-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Rosy-patched Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cruentus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark Eremopterix signatus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Pink-breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Pale Prinia Prinia somalica	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Scaly Chatterer Argya aylmeri	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
White-rumped Babbler Turdoides leucopygia	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Magpie Starling Speculipastor bicolor	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Shelley's Starling Lamprotornis shelleyi	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Golden-breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Brown-tailed Chat Oenanthe scotocerca	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser donaldsoni	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Steel-blue Whydah Vidua hypocherina	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Parrot-billed Sparrow Passer gongonensis	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
Somali Bunting Emberiza poliopleura	LC	resident	1996	present	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	1969-1974	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1996) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1996. The most recent assessment (1996) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Savanna	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
No known threats	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Chew Bahir	Wildlife Reserve	100
1973	Chelbi	Wildlife Reserve	69

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland	Grassland - edaphic, dry, Grassland - Semi-desert	54
Wetlands (inland)	Permanent herbaceous swamps and bogs, Geothermal springs, Ephemeral pools and wetlands, Riverine floodplains, Rivers & streams, Saline lakes, Salt marshes, Saltpans	45
Savanna	Bushland & thicket - deciduous, Bushland & thicket - evergreen, Wooded grassland	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
hunting	major (>10)
agriculture	-
nature conservation and research	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Chew Bahir (Ethiopia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-chew-bahir-iba-ethiopia on 25/11/2024.