• Summary
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• 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
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex	VU	resident	-	present	A1
Papyrus Gonolek Laniarius mufumbiri	NT	resident	1998	present	A1, A3
Black-lored Babbler Turdoides sharpei	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Red-chested Sunbird Cinnyris erythrocercus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Northern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus castanops	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Fox's Weaver Ploceus spekeoides	NT	resident	1998	present	A1, A2, A3

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 (2012) is shown below.

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

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Biological resource use	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 plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1964	Pian Upe	Wildlife Reserve	13
2006	Lake Opeta Wetland System	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	100

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Artificial/Terrestrial		55
Unknown		21
Forest		16
Savanna		2
Shrubland		1
Wetlands (inland)		1

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Opeta (Uganda). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-opeta-iba-uganda on 22/11/2024.