Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1998 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hartlaub's Spurfowl Pternistis hartlaubi | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor | NT | non-breeding (-) | present | A1 |
| Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii | EN | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Karoo Bustard Heterotetrax vigorsii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Rüppell's Bustard Heterotetrax rueppelii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| African Penguin Spheniscus demersus | CR | resident (-) | present | A1 |
| Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 50–150 individuals | A1, A4i |
| Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus | EN | non-breeding (-) | 100–200 individuals | A1, A4i |
| African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini | LC | non-breeding (-) | 30–50 individuals | A1, A4i |
| Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 250–350 individuals | A4i |
| Damara Tern Sternula balaenarum | LC | non-breeding (-) | 560 individuals | A1, A4i |
| Damara Tern Sternula balaenarum | LC | breeding (1998) | 220 breeding pairs | A1, A4i |
| Common Tern Sterna hirundo | LC | winter (-) | 10,000 individuals | A4i |
| Monteiro's Hornbill Tockus monteiri | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Rüppell's Parrot Poicephalus rueppellii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Ground Batis Lanioturdus torquatus | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Gray's Lark Ammomanopsis grayi | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Black-eared Sparrow-lark Eremopterix australis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Dune Lark Calendulauda erythrochlamys | LC | resident (1998) | present | A2, A3 |
| Stark's Lark Spizocorys starki | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Rockrunner Achaetops pycnopygius | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Karoo Eremomela Eremomela gregalis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Barred Wren-warbler Calamonastes fasciolatus | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Cinnamon-breasted Warbler Euryptila subcinnamomea | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Layard's Warbler Curruca layardi | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Pale-winged Starling Onychognathus nabouroup | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Kalahari Scrub-robin Cercotrichas paena | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Herero Chat Namibornis herero | LC | resident (1998) | present | A2, A3 |
| Karoo Chat Emarginata schlegelii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Sociable Weaver Philetairus socius | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Black-headed Canary Serinus alario | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | near favourable | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | unknown | |
| State (condition of the key species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Desert | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | near favourable |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | good (>90%) | moderate (70–90%) | near favourable |
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate deterioration (10–30% in 3 generations) | high |
| 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 | Unknown | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Namib-Naukluft | National Park (II) | 100 |
| 2013 | Namib Sand Sea | World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) | 62 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Desert | 61 | |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 26 | |
| Grassland | 12 | |
| Marine Coastal/Supratidal | minor (<10) | |
| Marine Intertidal | minor (<10) | |
| Marine Neritic | minor (<10) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Namib-Naukluft Park (Namibia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/namib-naukluft-park-iba-namibia on 19/01/2025.