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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Crane Anthropoides paradiseus | VU | resident (-) | present | A1 |
| Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres | VU | resident (-) | 700–900 pairs | A1, A4ii |
| Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres | VU | non-breeding (-) | 1,800–2,200 birds | A1, A4ii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 1998. The most recent assessment (2013) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2013 | poor | high | low |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | medium | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres | 804 / 900 (pairs) | 90 | moderate | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Artificial/Terrestrial | moderate (70–90%) | moderate (70–90%) | poor |
| Savanna | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Agricultural expansion and intensification | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Natural system modifications | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | moderate decline (10–30% over 3 generations) | high |
| Energy production and mining | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Transportation and service corridors | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| Biological resource use | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | medium |
| 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 |
| Little/none of area covered (<10%) | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Substantive conservation measures are being implemented, but these are not comprehensive and are limited by resources and capacity | low |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Doorndraai Dam | Nature Reserve (IV) | - |
| 1985 | Masebe | Nature Reserve (IV) | 1 |
| 2001 | Waterberg Biosphere Reserve | UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve (UA) | 100 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Artificial/Terrestrial | - | Arable land |
| Forest | - | Woodland - mixed |
| Savanna | - | Wooded grassland |
| Shrubland | - | Scrub - forest |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| nature conservation and research | 30 |
| unknown | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Waterberg System (South Africa). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/waterberg-system-iba-south-africa on 27/12/2024.