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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cape Spurfowl Pternistis capensis | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | non-breeding (-) | 2,914–3,484 individuals | 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 status | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | very unfavourable | very high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the key species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | 6,000 / 6,000 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Denham's Bustard Neotis denhami | 195 / 195 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres | 210 / 210 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| Black Harrier Circus maurus | 100 / 100 (individuals) | 100 | favourable | ||
| State (condition of the key species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Shrubland | very poor (<40%) | poor (40–69%) | very unfavourable |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | unfavourable |
| Pressure (threats to the key species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | likely in short term (within 4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Climate change and severe weather | likely in long term (beyond 4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no deterioration (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow deterioration (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the key species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Little/none of site 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 (2025) Important Bird Area factsheet: Overberg Wheatbelt (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/overberg-wheatbelt-iba-south-africa on 18/01/2025.