KE005
Mount Kenya


IBA Justification

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
Jackson's Spurfowl Pternistis jacksoni LC resident (1999) present A2, A3
Elgon Francolin Scleroptila elgonensis LC resident (1999) present A3
Montane Nightjar Caprimulgus poliocephalus LC resident (1999) present A3
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus LC resident (1999) present A3
Nyanza Swift Apus niansae LC resident (1999) present A3
Striped Flufftail Sarothrura affinis LC resident (1999) present A3
Hartlaub's Turaco Tauraco hartlaubi LC resident (1999) present A3
Abyssinian Owl Asio abyssinicus LC resident (1999) present A3
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus NT resident (1999) present A3
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum LC resident (1999) present A3
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates LC resident (1999) present A3
Moustached Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus leucomystax LC resident (1999) present A3
Fine-banded Woodpecker Campethera taeniolaema LC resident (1999) present A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni LC passage (2010) present A1
Mountain Oriole Oriolus percivali LC resident (1999) present A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius LC resident (1999) present A3
Doherty's Bushshrike Telophorus dohertyi LC resident (1999) present A3
White-tailed Crested-flycatcher Elminia albonotata LC resident (1999) present A3
White-browed Crombec Sylvietta leucophrys LC resident (1999) present A3
Black-collared Apalis Oreolais pulcher LC resident (1999) present A3
Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema LC resident (1999) present A3
Hunter's Cisticola Cisticola hunteri LC resident (1999) present A2, A3
Mountain Yellow Warbler Iduna similis LC resident (1999) present A3
Cinnamon Bracken-warbler Bradypterus cinnamomeus LC resident (1999) present A3
Eastern Mountain Greenbul Arizelocichla nigriceps LC resident (1999) present A3
Brown Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus umbrovirens LC resident (1999) present A3
African Hill-babbler Sylvia abyssinica LC resident (1999) present A3
Kikuyu White-eye Zosterops kikuyuensis LC resident (1999) present A3
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris LC resident (1999) present A3
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri LC resident (1999) present A3
Sharpe's Starling Pholia sharpii LC resident (1999) present A3
Kenrick's Starling Poeoptera kenricki LC resident (1999) present A2, A3
Abbott's Starling Arizelopsar femoralis EN resident (1999) present A1, A2, A3
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi LC resident (1999) present A3
Abyssinian Ground-thrush Geokichla piaggiae LC resident (1999) present A3
White-eyed Slaty-flycatcher Melaenornis fischeri LC resident (1999) present A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata LC resident (1999) present A3
Rüppell's Robin-Chat Cossypha semirufa LC resident (1999) present A3
Little Rock-thrush Monticola rufocinereus LC resident (1999) present A3
Moorland Chat Pinarochroa sordida LC resident (1999) present A3
Tacazze Sunbird Nectarinia tacazze LC resident (1999) present A3
Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis LC resident (1999) present A3
Red-tufted Sunbird Nectarinia johnstoni LC resident (1999) present A3
Eastern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris mediocris LC resident (1999) present A3
Golden-winged Sunbird Drepanorhynchus reichenowi LC resident (1999) present A3
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Cinnyris reichenowi LC resident (1999) present A3
Jackson's Widowbird Euplectes jacksoni NT resident (1999) present A1, A2, A3
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht LC resident (1999) present A3
Brown-capped Weaver Ploceus insignis LC resident (1999) present A3
Abyssinian Crimsonwing Cryptospiza salvadorii LC resident (1999) present A3
Sharpe's Longclaw Macronyx sharpei EN resident (1999) present A1, A2, A3
Oriole Finch Linurgus olivaceus LC resident (1999) present A3
Yellow-browed Citril Crithagra frontalis LC resident (1999) present A3
Thick-billed Seedeater Crithagra burtoni LC resident (1999) present A3
Streaky Seedeater Crithagra striolata LC resident (1999) present A3

IBA Conservation

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 high high
Whole site assessed? State assessed by Accuracy of information
yes habitat good

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
Invasive and other problematic species and genes happe­ning now most of popul­ation/area (50–90%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) high
Agricultural expansion and intensification happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Residential and commercial development happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Transportation and service corridors happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Biological resource use happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Human intrusions and disturbance happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
Natural system modifications happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations) medium
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
Energy production and mining happe­ning now some of popul­ation/area (10–49%) 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 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

IBA Protection

Year Protected Area Designation (management category) % coverage of IBA
1968 Mt. Kenya National Park (II) 23
1978 Mount Kenya UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) 28
1997 Mount Kenya National Park/Natural Forest World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) 55

Local Conservation Groups

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name Year formed
Mt Kenya Biodiversity Conservation Group 1999
For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please visit Spotlight on local empowerment.

Habitats

Habitat % of IBA Habitat detail
Forest - Montane forest - undifferentiated

Land use

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


Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mount Kenya (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mount-kenya-iba-kenya on 22/12/2024.