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:Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2015) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2015 | very poor | very high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Wetlands (inland) | moderate (70–90%) | very poor (<40%) | very poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Pollution | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | very high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Invasive and other problematic species and genes | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | likely in short term (<4 years) | some of population/area (10–49%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | few individuals/small area (<10%) | rapid decline (>30% over 3 generations) | low |
| Human intrusions and disturbance | 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 |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Lake Chivero | Recreational Park (V) | 100 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Forest | 78 | |
| Shrubland | 21 | |
| Wetlands (inland) | major (>10) | Freshwater lakes and pools |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
| tourism/recreation | - |
| water management | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Robert McIlwaine Recreational Park (Zimbabwe). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/robert-mcilwaine-recreational-park-iba-zimbabwe on 23/12/2024.