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The site was identified as important in 1999 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
Corncrake Crex crex	LC	winter	-	present	A1
Malagasy Pond Heron Ardeola idae	EN	non-breeding	1999	present	A1
Usambiro Barbet Trachyphonus usambiro	LC	resident	1999	present	A2
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	passage	1999	present	A1
Grey-crested Helmetshrike Prionops poliolophus	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2
Red-throated Tit Melaniparus fringillinus	LC	resident	1999	present	A1
Rufous-tailed Weaver Histurgops ruficauda	LC	resident	1999	present	A2
Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1999) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1999. The most recent assessment (2023) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Savanna	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Forest	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Grassland	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Residential and commercial development	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Biological resource use	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Energy production and mining	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	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	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
-	Siana	Private Reserve	29
-	Kimindet	Private Reserve	7
-	Koiyaki	Private Reserve	18
-	Olchorro Ouirwa	Private Reserve	2
-	Olorien	Private Reserve	5
-	Kerinkani	Private Reserve	2
-	Angata Baragoi	Private Reserve	1
1974	Masai Mara	National Reserve	28
1995	Lemek	Community Conservancy	12
2005	Ol Kinyei	Community Conservancy	15
2006	Olare Orok	Community Conservancy	2
2006	Motorogi	Community Conservancy	1
2009	Mara North	Community Conservancy	6
2010	Naboisho	Community Conservancy	4
2010	Ol Chorro Oiroua	Community Conservancy	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Lowland forest - riparian, Woodland - monodominant	-
Grassland	Grassland - edaphic, dry	-
Savanna	Bushland & thicket - evergreen	-
Shrubland	Scrub - woodland	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Masai Mara (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/masai-mara-iba-kenya on 23/11/2024.