• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2001 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
Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor	NT	breeding	1994	500,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Sombre Nightjar Caprimulgus fraenatus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar Caprimulgus donaldsoni	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Buff-crested Bustard Lophotis gindiana	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Fischer's Lovebird Agapornis fischeri	NT	resident	2000	unknown	A3
Rosy-patched Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cruentus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Red-throated Tit Melaniparus fringillinus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Ashy Cisticola Cisticola cinereolus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Banded Warbler Curruca boehmi	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Kenya White-eye Zosterops flavilateralis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Scaly Chatterer Argya aylmeri	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Northern Pied Babbler Turdoides hypoleuca	LC	resident	2000	unknown	A3
Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Black-cheeked Waxbill Brunhilda charmosyna	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Steel-blue Whydah Vidua hypocherina	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Swahili Sparrow Passer suahelicus	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
Pangani Longclaw Macronyx aurantiigula	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
White-bellied Canary Crithagra dorsostriata	LC	resident	2000	present	A3
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	breeding	1994	1,000,000-2,499,999 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2001) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2020) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor	2,500,000	285	individuals	1	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	good (> 90%)	near favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	slow but significant deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Lake Natron GCA	Game controlled area	91
-	Mto wa Mbu GCA	Game controlled area	3
-	Burko O.A.	Open area	2
2001	Lake Natron Basin	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100

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

Name	Year formed
ILKISONGO PASTORAL INITIATIVES (IPI)	1999

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

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland		56
Wetlands (inland)		39
Artificial/Terrestrial		4

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
tourism/recreation	-
other	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Natron and Engaruka basin (Tanzania). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-natron-and-engaruka-basin-iba-tanzania on 22/11/2024.