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The site was identified as important in 1998 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
White-backed Duck Thalassornis leuconotus	LC	non-breeding	-	120-220 individuals	A4i
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma	LC	non-breeding	-	1,000-2,000 individuals	A4i
Southern Pochard Netta erythrophthalma	LC	breeding	-	400-600 breeding pairs	A4i
African Spoonbill Platalea alba	LC	non-breeding	-	350-600 individuals	A4i
African Spoonbill Platalea alba	LC	breeding	-	100-120 breeding pairs	A4i
Dwarf Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii	LC	non-breeding	-	500-800 individuals	A4i
Dwarf Bittern Ixobrychus sturmii	LC	breeding	-	200-300 breeding pairs	A4i
Black-crowned Night Heron Nycticorax nycticorax	LC	breeding	-	500-700 breeding pairs	A4i
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	non-breeding	-	600-1,300 individuals	A4i
Squacco Heron Ardeola ralloides	LC	breeding	-	300-550 breeding pairs	A4i
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	non-breeding	-	400-600 individuals	A4i
Great White Egret Ardea alba	LC	breeding	-	200-500 breeding pairs	A4i
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis	LC	non-breeding	-	500-1,000 individuals	A4i
African Snipe Gallinago nigripennis	LC	breeding	-	250-400 breeding pairs	A4i
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni	NT	winter	-	180-500 individuals	A1, A4i
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	unknown	-	min 20,000 individuals	A4iii

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1998) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2011) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Wetlands (inland)	moderate (70-90%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Residential and commercial development	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Energy production and mining	likely in short term (within 4 years)	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Biological resource use	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	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	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1960	Webtex Estates Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	3
1960	Nyl Valley Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1
1964	Mosdene Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	11
1967	Nylsvley Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	9
1967	Goetsch Bros Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	2
1972	Bottero's Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1
1997	Beesland Private Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	1
1998	Nylsvley Nature Reserve	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	9
2015	Grootvalley Protected Environment	Protected Environment	1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Grassland	Grassland - edaphic, wet	-
Shrubland	Scrub - woodland	-
Wetlands (inland)	Ephemeral pools and wetlands	-

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	30
water management	15
agriculture	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Nyl River Floodplain (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/nyl-river-floodplain-iba-south-africa on 23/11/2024.