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 ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Spurfowl Pternistis capensis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | non-breeding (-) | 2,914–3,484 birds | A1, A4i |
| Black Harrier Circus maurus | EN | resident (-) | present | A1 |
| Cape Long-billed Lark Certhilauda curvirostris | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Cape Bulbul Pycnonotus capensis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Cape Sugarbird Promerops cafer | LC | resident (1998) | present | A2, A3 |
| Orange-breasted Sunbird Anthobaphes violacea | LC | resident (1998) | present | A2, A3 |
| Cape Siskin Crithagra totta | LC | resident (1998) | present | A2, 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 assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | very poor | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | 6,000 / 6,000 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami | 195 / 195 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres | 210 / 210 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Black Harrier Circus maurus | 100 / 100 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Shrubland | very poor (<40%) | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| 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 |
| Biological resource use | 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 |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (>4 years) | 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%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | No management plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Cape Floral Region Protected Areas | World Heritage Site (natural or mixed) (UA) | 2 |
| 2015 | Gouritz Cluster Biosphere Reserve | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | 31 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | major (>10) | Arable land |
| Grassland | - | |
| Shrubland | - | Shrubland - Cape (fynbos) |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 20 |
| agriculture | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Overberg Wheatbelt (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/overberg-wheatbelt-iba-south-africa on 23/12/2024.