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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| White-throated Robin-chat Dessonornis humeralis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Boulder Chat Pinarornis plumosus | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| White-breasted Sunbird Cinnyris talatala | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Eastern Miombo Sunbird Cinnyris manoensis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Broad-tailed Paradise-whydah Vidua obtusa | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2011) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2011 | moderate | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| no | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Grassland | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Forest | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | moderate |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | 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 |
| Some of area covered (10–49%) | Unknown | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Lake Matopos | Recreation Park (-) | 1 |
| 1926 | Matopos | National Park (II) | 100 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 90 | |
| Shrubland | 9 | |
| Grassland | - | Grassland - edaphic, dry |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | - | Inselbergs, kopjes & inland cliffs |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| forestry | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| water management | - |
| other | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Matobo Hills (Zimbabwe). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/matobo-hills-iba-zimbabwe on 23/12/2024.