Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1998 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 Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini | LC | resident (-) | 60–70 pairs | A1, A4i |
| African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini | LC | non-breeding (-) | 150–200 birds | A1, A4i |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | moderate | medium | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Most of area (50–90%) covered (including the most critical parts for important bird species) | No management planning has taken place | Very little or no conservation action taking place | low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | - | |
| Marine Intertidal | - |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 100 |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Maitland - Gamtoos coast (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/maitland--gamtoos-coast-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.