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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 IBA criteria.

Populations meeting IBA criteria ('key species') at the site:

Species	Red List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri	NT	resident (1999)	present	A1, A3
Eastern Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus simplex	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike Prionops scopifrons	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fischer's Greenbul Phyllastrephus fischeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Lowland Tiny Greenbul Phyllastrephus debilis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Little Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-bellied Starling Notopholia corusca	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Spotted Ground-thrush Geokichla guttata	VU	non-breeding (1999)	present	A1
Plain-backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi	NT	resident (1999)	present	A1, A3

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.

State (condition of the key species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Forest	good (>90%)	good (>90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	whole popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid deteri­oration (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Climate change and severe weather	happen­ing now	whole popul­ation/area (>90%)	slow deteri­oration (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happen­ing now	whole popul­ation/area (>90%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Residential and commercial development	happen­ing now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Biological resource use	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happen­ing now	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low
Natural system modifications	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	few individ­uals/small area (<10%)	no deteri­oration (<1% over 3 gener­ations)	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area of site (>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	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1992	Mrima Hill Sacred Grove National Monument	Other Area (-)	-

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

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	-
nature conservation and research	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Mrima Hill Forest (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/mrima-hill-forest-iba-kenya on 15/01/2025.