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The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation 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 List	Season (year/s of estimate)	Size	IBA criteria
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Green-headed Oriole Oriolus chlorocephalus	LC	resident (1999)	present	A3
Grey Cuckooshrike Ceblepyris caesius	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
Yellow-throated Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus ruficapilla	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

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 of popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Human intrusions and disturbance	happe­ning now	whole of popul­ation/area (>90%)	rapid decline (>30% over 3 gener­ations)	very high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	happe­ning now	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	No management planning has taken place	Very little or no conservation action taking place	low

Habitat	% of IBA	Habitat detail
Forest	100

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
forestry	-
water management	-
other	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Thyolo Mountain Forest Reserve (Malawi). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/thyolo-mountain-forest-reserve-iba-malawi on 23/12/2024.