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• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
Fischer's Turaco Tauraco fischeri	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Southern Banded Snake-eagle Circaetus fasciolatus	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A3
Mangrove Kingfisher Halcyon senegaloides	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Eastern Green Tinkerbird Pogoniulus simplex	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown-breasted Barbet Pogonornis melanopterus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Mombasa Woodpecker Campethera mombassica	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Brown-headed Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Chestnut-fronted Helmetshrike Prionops scopifrons	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Fischer's Greenbul Phyllastrephus fischeri	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Lowland Tiny Greenbul Phyllastrephus debilis	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Little Yellow Flycatcher Erythrocercus holochlorus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Black-bellied Starling Notopholia corusca	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Spotted Ground-thrush Geokichla guttata	VU	non-breeding	1999	present	A1
East Coast Akalat Sheppardia gunningi	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A3
Plain-backed Sunbird Anthreptes reichenowi	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A3
Uluguru Violet-backed Sunbird Anthreptes neglectus	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Sokoke Pipit Anthus sokokensis	EN	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1999) may differ.

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
Grassland	moderate (70-90%)	moderate (70-90%)	unfavourable
Forest	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Shrubland	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	slow but significant deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium
Residential and commercial development	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Biological resource use	happening now	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low
Natural system modifications	past (and unlikely to return) and no longer limiting	small area/few individuals (<10%)	no or imperceptible deterioration	low

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Whole area of site (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation	No management plan exists but the management planning process has begun	Substantive conservation measures are being implemented but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity	medium

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1956	Mkongani West	Forest Reserve	3
1956	Shimba	Forest Reserve	87
1968	Shimba Hills	National Reserve	89

The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.

Name	Year formed
Shimba Hills Forest Guides Association (SHIFOGA) and Shimba Suppport Group	0

For more information on BirdLife's work with Local Conservation Groups, please click here.

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Forest	Lowland forest - undifferentiated	45
Shrubland	Scrub - forest	35
Grassland		16

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	90
agriculture	50
tourism/recreation	20
urban/industrial/transport	10
other	5

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Shimba Hills (Kenya). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/shimba-hills-iba-kenya on 23/11/2024.