Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pied-winged Swallow Hirundo leucosoma | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
| Emerald Starling Lamprotornis iris | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
| Splendid Sunbird Cinnyris coccinigastrus | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
| Yellow-winged Pytilia Pytilia hypogrammica | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
| Red-winged Pytilia Pytilia phoenicoptera | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
| Dybowski's Twinspot Euschistospiza dybowskii | LC | resident (2000) | present | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | not assessed | very high | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | unset | unknown | |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management planning has taken place | Very little or no conservation action taking place | very low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Wetlands (inland) | 70 | Freshwater lakes and pools; Rivers & streams |
| Savanna | 20 | Wooded grassland |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | 10 | Arable land |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| fisheries/aquaculture | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Sonfon and environs (Sierra Leone). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-sonfon-and-environs-iba-sierra-leone on 23/12/2024.