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• Text account
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• Reference and further resources

The site was identified as important in 2001 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
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
East Coast Batis Batis soror	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-tailed Crested-flycatcher Elminia albonotata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-winged Apalis Apalis chariessa	NT	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Olive-headed Bulbul Arizelocichla striifacies	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Spotted Ground-thrush Geokichla guttata	VU	resident	1999	present	A1
Orange Ground-thrush Geokichla gurneyi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
White-starred Robin Pogonocichla stellata	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Thyolo Alethe Chamaetylas choloensis	VU	resident	1999	present	A1, A2, A3
Bertram's Weaver Ploceus bertrandi	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Red-faced Crimsonwing Cryptospiza reichenovii	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
Yellow-bellied Waxbill Coccopygia quartinia	LC	resident	1999	present	A3
East African Citril Crithagra hyposticta	LC	resident	1999	present	A3

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (2001) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happening now	whole area/population (>90%)	very rapid to severe deterioration	very high
Residential and commercial development	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high

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 planning has taken place	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1922	Soche	Forest Reserve	79

Land use	% of IBA
forestry	-
water management	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Soche Mountain Forest Reserve (Malawi). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/soche-mountain-forest-reserve-iba-malawi on 23/11/2024.