ET069
Lake Turkana and Omo delta


IBA Justification

The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List Season (year[s] of estimate) Size IBA criteria
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris LC non-breeding (1975) 1,000 birds A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds n/a non-breeding (1996) 20,000 birds A4iii

IBA Conservation

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.

IBA conservation assessment
Year of assessment State Pressure Response
1996 good medium very low
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
no habitat poor

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species Actual vs Reference (units) % remaining Result
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris 1,000 / 1,000 (birds) 100 not assessed

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

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat Timing Scope Severity Result
Pollution likely in long term (>4 years) some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Agricultural expansion and intensification likely in long term (>4 years) 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

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
1973 Murle Controlled Hunting Area (VI) 23
1973 Omo West Controlled Hunting Area (VI) 6

Habitats

Habitat % of IBA Habitat detail
Savanna 57 Bushland & thicket - deciduous; Bushland & thicket - evergreen; Wooded grassland
Grassland 25 Grassland - edaphic, dry; Grassland - Semi-desert
Wetlands (inland) 17 Freshwater lakes and pools; Permanent herbaceous swamps and bogs; Rivers & streams

Land use

Land use % of IBA
agriculture -
fisheries/aquaculture -


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Turkana and Omo delta (Ethiopia). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-turkana-and-omo-delta-iba-ethiopia on 14/12/2024.