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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| South African Shelduck Tadorna cana | LC | non-breeding (-) | 1,000–2,451 birds | A4i |
| Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 50–100 birds | A4i |
| Lesser Flamingo Phoeniconaias minor | NT | non-breeding (-) | frequent | A1 |
| Red-knobbed Coot Fulica cristata | LC | non-breeding (-) | 2,000–5,425 birds | A4i |
| African Spoonbill Platalea alba | LC | non-breeding (-) | 120–257 birds | A4i |
| African Darter Anhinga rufa | LC | non-breeding (-) | 300–600 birds | A4i |
| Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta | LC | non-breeding (-) | 417 birds | A4i |
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 | very 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 |
| Wetlands (inland) | moderate (70–90%) | poor (40–69%) | very poor |
| Shrubland | very poor (<40%) | very poor (<40%) | very poor |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Climate change and severe weather | happening now | whole of population/area (>90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Biological resource use | 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 | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Pollution | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Energy production and mining | 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 | 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 plan exists, but the management planning process has begun | Very little or no conservation action taking place | very low |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | - | Arable land |
| Grassland | - | Grassland - Semi-desert |
| Shrubland | - | Shrubland - bushy Karroo |
| Wetlands (inland) | - | Artificial wetlands; Rivers & streams |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| water management | 80 |
| nature conservation and research | 12 |
| tourism/recreation | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Spitskop Dam (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/spitskop-dam-iba-south-africa on 24/12/2024.