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The site was identified as important 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 List1	Season	Year(s)	Size	IBA criteria
South African Shelduck Tadorna cana	LC	non-breeding	-	288-470 individuals	A4i
Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii	LC	non-breeding	-	103-600 individuals	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	resident	-	5-20 breeding pairs	A4i
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	LC	non-breeding	-	87-123 individuals	A4i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	non-breeding	-	78-452 individuals	A4i
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	LC	non-breeding	-	209-377 individuals	A4i

1. The current IUCN Red List category. The category at the time of the IBA criteria assessment (1998) may differ.

Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiaca	2,014	2,014	individuals	100	favourable
South African Shelduck Tadorna cana	470	489	individuals	100	favourable
Cape Shoveler Spatula smithii	600	615	individuals	100	favourable
Great Crested Grebe Podiceps cristatus	123	140	individuals	100	favourable
Great White Pelican Pelecanus onocrotalus	478	478	individuals	100	favourable
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	452	1,256	individuals	100	favourable
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	377	377	individuals	100	favourable
Caspian Tern Hydroprogne caspia	31	34	individuals	100	favourable
African Marsh-harrier Circus ranivorus	30	9	individuals	30	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Marine Neritic	moderate (70-90%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Marine Coastal/Supratidal	moderate (70-90%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable
Shrubland	poor (40-69%)	poor (40-69%)	very unfavourable

Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Threat	Timing	Scope	Severity	Result
Agricultural expansion and intensification	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Residential and commercial development	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Transportation and service corridors	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Biological resource use	happening now	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Human intrusions and disturbance	likely in short term (within 4 years)	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Natural system modifications	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Pollution	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Climate change and severe weather	happening now	majority/most of area/population (50-90%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	high
Invasive and other problematic species and genes	likely in short term (within 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	moderate to rapid deterioration	medium
Energy production and mining	likely in long term (beyond 4 years)	some of area/population (10-49%)	slow but significant deterioration	medium

Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats)
Protected areas	Management plan	Other action	Result
Some of site covered (10-49%)	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	Some limited conservation initiatives are in place	low

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1991	Verlorenvlei	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	5

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

Name	Year formed
Elands Bay environmental group.	0

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

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Shrubland	Shrubland - succulent Karroo, Shrubland - Cape (fynbos)	major (>10)
Wetlands (inland)	Rivers & streams, Permanent herbaceous swamps and bogs	minor (<10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
agriculture	-
tourism/recreation	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Verlorenvlei Estuary (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/verlorenvlei-estuary-iba-south-africa on 23/11/2024.