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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | resident (-) | 200–400 pairs | A1, A4i |
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | non-breeding (-) | 1,000–2,500 birds | A1, A4i |
| Ludwig's Bustard Neotis ludwigii | EN | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Karoo Bustard Heterotetrax vigorsii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Blue Bustard Eupodotis caerulescens | NT | resident (-) | present | A1 |
| Black Stork Ciconia nigra | LC | non-breeding (-) | 10–20 birds | A4i |
| Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni | LC | winter (-) | 5,000–10,000 birds | A1, A4ii |
| Karoo Long-billed Lark Certhilauda subcoronata | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Karoo Lark Calendulauda albescens | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Namaqua Warbler Phragmacia substriata | 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 |
| Karoo Chat Emarginata schlegelii | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Sickle-winged Chat Emarginata sinuata | LC | resident (1998) | present | A3 |
| Tractrac Chat Emarginata tractrac | 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 (2014) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2014 | very poor | high | very low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Forest | poor (40–69%) | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Shrubland | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | 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 |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | 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) | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Biological resource use | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | low |
| Pollution | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | no or slight decline (<1% 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 planning has taken place | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | very low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Grassland | 99 | Grassland - highveld |
| Forest | - | Woodland - mixed |
| Shrubland | - | Shrubland - bushy Karroo; Shrubland - dwarf Karroo |
| Wetlands (inland) | - | Rivers & streams; Saltpans |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| water management | 90 |
| nature conservation and research | 1 |
| agriculture | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Platberg-Karoo Conservancy (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/platberg-karoo-conservancy-iba-south-africa on 26/12/2024.