Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The site comprises the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park and the adjacent Batoka Gorge which extends downstream as far as the confluence of the Zambezi with the Kalomo river. At 6,600 ha, the park is Zambia’s smallest, but it is the most popular as it flanks a stretch of the Zambezi river just south of Livingstone that includes the Victoria Falls. As well as riparian habitats such as sandbars and fringing forest, there is woodland (mainly mopane) and the immense basalt gorge below the falls (much of which is over 100 m deep).
See Box and Table 3 for key species. The site is most important for the species occurring in and around the gorge.
Falco fasciinucha has been recorded with some regularity and is known to nest here—Hartley (1993) estimated that 8–10 pairs occurred in the gorge along 60 km of its length—but it is perhaps not as common as some local tour operators might suggest, possibly due to confusion with other species such as
Falco peregrinus. Other breeding species of interest include
Ciconia nigra,
Aquila verreauxii and
Apus barbatus and, along the river above the falls,
Gorsachius leuconotus,
Podica senegalensis and
Glareola nuchalis.
Non-bird biodiversity: A wide variety of mammals occur, including Loxodonta africana (EN).
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Being such a high-profile site, it seems likely that there will always be a reasonable level of protection. However, the disturbance created by the increased tourist activity requires investigation. The continual presence of light aircraft above the falls has been linked with a decrease in sightings of
Falco fasciinucha in that area, although this has not been proven. Below the National Park, the Batoka Gorge offers a large stretch of suitable habitat and this remains somewhat inaccessible and relatively undisturbed. However, there are proposals to construct a hydroelectric dam in the gorge which could have a serious impact on the site.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park and Batoka Gorge (Zambia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mosi-oa-tunya-national-park-and-batoka-gorge-iba-zambia on 23/12/2024.
