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The site was identified as important in 2001 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Heuglin's Spurfowl Pternistis icterorhynchus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Ring-necked Francolin Scleroptila streptophora	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
White-crested Turaco Tauraco leucolophus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Shoebill Balaeniceps rex	VU	resident	1998	present	A1
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	winter	-	present	A1
Rock Pratincole Glareola nuchalis	LC	non-breeding	1999	500-1,000 individuals	A4i
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris	LC	non-breeding	1999	1,400 individuals	A1, A4i
Pallid Harrier Circus macrourus	NT	passage	-	present	A1
Red-throated Bee-eater Merops bulocki	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni	LC	passage	1998	present	A1
Papyrus Gonolek Laniarius mufumbiri	NT	resident	1998	present	A1, A3
Emin's Shrike Lanius gubernator	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Yellow-billed Shrike Lanius corvinus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Piapiac Ptilostomus afer	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Red-pate Cisticola Cisticola ruficeps	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
White-winged Swamp-warbler Bradypterus carpalis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Black-lored Babbler Turdoides sharpei	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Purple Starling Lamprotornis purpureus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Bronze-tailed Starling Lamprotornis chalcurus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Red-chested Sunbird Cinnyris erythrocercus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Chestnut-crowned Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser superciliosus	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Northern Brown-throated Weaver Ploceus castanops	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Black-bellied Firefinch Lagonosticta rara	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Black-rumped Waxbill Estrilda troglodytes	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Grey-headed Oliveback Delacourella capistrata	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Papyrus Canary Crithagra koliensis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3
Brown-rumped Bunting Emberiza affinis	LC	resident	1998	present	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2001) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
African Skimmer Rynchops flavirostris	100	135	individuals	100	favourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Savanna	good (> 90%)	moderate (70-90%)	near favourable
Forest	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Wetlands (inland)	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Natural system modifications	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Residential and commercial development	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Biological resource use	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other 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	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1952	Murchison Falls	National Park	100
1964	Karuma	Wildlife Reserve	1
1968	Bugungu	Wildlife Reserve	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest		37
Artificial/Terrestrial		20
Savanna		16
Unknown		10
Wetlands (inland)	Riverine floodplains, Rivers & streams	10
Shrubland		4

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

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

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Murchison Falls National Park (Uganda). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/murchison-falls-national-park-iba-uganda on 22/11/2024.