• Summary
• Text account
• Data table and detailed info
• Map
• Reference and further resources

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
Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii	EN	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Bustard Heterotetrax vigorsii	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black Harrier Circus maurus	EN	resident (-)	present	A1
Ground Woodpecker Geocolaptes olivaceus	NT	resident (-)	present	A1
Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black-eared Sparrow-lark Eremopterix australis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Red Lark Calendulauda burra	VU	resident (1998)	present	A1, A2, A3
Sclater's Lark Spizocorys sclateri	NT	resident (1998)	present	A1, A3
Stark's Lark Spizocorys starki	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Eremomela Eremomela gregalis	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomea	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Layard's Warbler Curruca layardi	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Karoo Chat Emarginata schlegelii	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Sickle-winged Chat Emarginata sinuata	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac	LC	resident (1998)	present	A3
Black-headed Canary Serinus alario	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 (2014) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Desert	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Transportation and service corridors	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Biological resource use	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Energy production and mining	happe­ning now	few indivi­duals/small area (<10%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Pollution	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
Little/none of area covered (<10%)	No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun	Very little or no conservation action taking place	very low

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Desert	-	Desert dunes; Gravel and sand plains; River beds
Grassland	-	Grassland - secondary
Shrubland	-	Scrub - woodland; Shrubland - succulent Karroo
Wetlands (inland)	-	Ephemeral pools and wetlands; Saltpans

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	6
agriculture	-
other	-
tourism/recreation	-
urban/industrial/transport	-

---

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mattheus-Gat Conservation Area (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mattheus-gat-conservation-area-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.