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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 1999 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
Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-necked Spurfowl Pternistis leucoscepus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-faced Sandgrouse Pterocles decoratus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Sombre Nightjar Caprimulgus fraenatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Donaldson Smith's Nightjar Caprimulgus donaldsoni	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-bellied Go-away-bird Criniferoides leucogaster	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Chanting-goshawk Melierax poliopterus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-headed Mousebird Colius leucocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Yellow-billed Hornbill Tockus flavirostris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Von der Decken's Hornbill Tockus deckeni	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Abyssinian Scimitarbill Rhinopomastus minor	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Somali Bee-eater Merops revoilii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-and-yellow Barbet Trachyphonus erythrocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-throated Barbet Tricholaema melanocephala	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
D'Arnaud's Barbet Trachyphonus darnaudii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-bellied Parrot Poicephalus rufiventris	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Pringle's Puffback Dryoscopus pringlii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Three-streaked Tchagra Tchagra jamesi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rosy-patched Bushshrike Rhodophoneus cruentus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Long-tailed Fiscal Lanius cabanisi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Taita Fiscal Lanius dorsalis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Somali Tit Melaniparus thruppi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Mouse-coloured Penduline-tit Anthoscopus musculus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Chestnut-headed Sparrow-lark Eremopterix signatus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Pink-breasted Lark Calendulauda poecilosterna	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Red-winged Lark Mirafra hypermetra	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Somali Short-toed Lark Alaudala somalica	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Somali Crombec Sylvietta isabellina	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Yellow-vented Eremomela Eremomela flavicrissalis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Wren-warbler Calamonastes simplex	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Ashy Cisticola Cisticola cinereolus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Tiny Cisticola Cisticola nana	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Pale Prinia Prinia somalica	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Banded Warbler Curruca boehmi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Kenya White-eye Zosterops flavilateralis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Rufous Chatterer Argya rubiginosa	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bristle-crowned Starling Onychognathus salvadorii	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Magpie Starling Speculipastor bicolor	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hildebrandt's Starling Lamprotornis hildebrandti	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Golden-breasted Starling Lamprotornis regius	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fischer's Starling Lamprotornis fischeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bare-eyed Thrush Turdus tephronotus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
African Grey Flycatcher Bradornis microrhynchus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Brown-tailed Chat Oenanthe scotocerca	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Eastern Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes orientalis	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Hunter's Sunbird Chalcomitra hunteri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-bellied Sunbird Cinnyris nectarinioides	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Shining Sunbird Cinnyris habessinicus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-headed Buffalo-Weaver Dinemellia dinemelli	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Donaldson Smith's Sparrow-Weaver Plocepasser donaldsoni	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-capped Social-Weaver Pseudonigrita cabanisi	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Fire-fronted Bishop Euplectes diadematus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Golden Palm Weaver Ploceus bojeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Purple Grenadier Granatina ianthinogaster	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Blue-capped Cordon-bleu Uraeginthus cyanocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Black-cheeked Waxbill Brunhilda charmosyna	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey-headed Silverbill Spermestes griseicapilla	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Steel-blue Whydah Vidua hypocherina	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Straw-tailed Whydah Vidua fischeri	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Golden Pipit Tmetothylacus tenellus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
White-bellied Canary Crithagra dorsostriata	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Somali Bunting Emberiza poliopleura	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1999. The most recent assessment (2023) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Forest	moderate (70–90%)	moderate (70–90%)	poor
Grassland	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	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Residential and commercial development	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Pollution	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Climate change and severe weather	happe­ning now	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	moderate decline (10–30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Biological resource use	likely in short term (<4 years)	most of popul­ation/area (50–90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	likely in short term (<4 years)	some of popul­ation/area (10–49%)	slow decline (1–10% over 3 gener­ations)	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Designation	Planning	Action	Result
Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	Unknown	Not assessed	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation (management category)	% coverage of IBA
1985	Samburu	National Reserve (II)	56
1985	Buffalo Springs	National Reserve (II)	44

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	-	Woodland - riparian; Lowland forest - riparian
Grassland	-	Grassland - edaphic, dry

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/samburu-and-buffalo-springs-national-reserves-iba-kenya on 22/12/2024.