Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greater Sandplover Charadrius leschenaultii | LC | winter (-) | 1,250 birds | A4i |
| Charadrius mongolus | NR | winter (-) | 1,500 birds | A4i |
| Crab-plover Dromas ardeola | LC | non-breeding (-) | 800 birds | A4i |
| Saunders's Tern Sternula saundersi | LC | non-breeding (-) | 5,700 birds | A4i |
| Roseate Tern Sterna dougallii | LC | breeding (-) | 1,500 pairs | A4i |
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.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2023 | poor | very high | 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 |
| Forest | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | likely in short term (<4 years) | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Energy production and mining | likely in short term (<4 years) | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | 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 | 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 |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | No management planning has taken place | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Mallindi | Marine National Park (II) | 2 |
| 1968 | Malindi-Watamu | Marine National Reserve (-) | 94 |
| 1979 | Malindi-Watamu | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | 75 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Intertidal | major (>10) | |
| Marine Neritic | major (>10) | |
| Forest | minor (<10) | Lowland forest - dry deciduous; Lowland forest - dry evergreen |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| tourism/recreation | major (>10) |
| fisheries/aquaculture | minor (<10) |
| nature conservation and research | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mida Creek, Whale Island and the Malindi - Watamu coast (Kenya). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mida-creek-whale-island-and-the-malindi--watamu-coast-iba-kenya on 27/12/2024.