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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
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	LC	non-breeding	-	3,791-8,724 individuals	A4i
African Penguin Spheniscus demersus	CR	resident	-	frequent	A1
Cape Gannet Morus capensis	EN	resident	-	20,200 breeding pairs	A1, A4ii
Cape Gannet Morus capensis	EN	non-breeding	-	40,000-50,000 individuals	A1, A4ii
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus	LC	resident	-	500-600 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus	LC	non-breeding	-	1,000-1,200 individuals	A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	EN	resident	-	4,000-10,000 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	EN	non-breeding	-	12,000-32,000 individuals	A1, A4i
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus	EN	resident	-	220-300 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus	EN	non-breeding	-	500-600 individuals	A1, A4i
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini	LC	resident	-	150-170 breeding pairs	A1, A4i
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini	LC	non-breeding	-	528-607 individuals	A1, A4i
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	LC	non-breeding	-	127-307 individuals	A4i
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	VU	winter	-	3,643-8,228 individuals	A4i
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius	LC	non-breeding	-	1,000-2,000 individuals	A4i
White-fronted Plover Charadrius marginatus	LC	non-breeding	-	2,000-4,000 individuals	A4i
Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres	NT	winter	-	1,963-4,587 individuals	A4i
Red Knot Calidris canutus	NT	winter	-	2,504-6,219 individuals	A4i
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	VU	winter	-	17,940-25,347 individuals	A4i
Sanderling Calidris alba	LC	winter	-	1,229-2,643 individuals	A4i
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	LC	breeding	-	2,000-3,000 breeding pairs	A4i
Hartlaub's Gull Larus hartlaubii	LC	non-breeding	-	5,000-7,000 individuals	A4i
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus	LC	breeding	-	500-3,347 breeding pairs	A4i
Kelp Gull Larus dominicanus	LC	non-breeding	-	1,407-8,000 individuals	A4i
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	LC	winter	-	1,299-9,658 individuals	A4i
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii	LC	breeding	-	50-4,070 breeding pairs	A4i
Greater Crested Tern Thalasseus bergii	LC	non-breeding	-	203-9,000 individuals	A4i
Black Harrier Circus maurus	EN	resident	-	present	A1
A4iii Species group - seabirds	n/a	resident	-	50,000-99,999 individuals	A4iii
A4iii Species group - waterbirds	n/a	non-breeding	-	20,000-49,999 individuals	A4iii

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 (2013) is shown below.

State (condition of the trigger species' populations)
Species	Reference	Actual	Units	% remaining	Result
Greater Flamingo Phoenicopterus roseus	8,724	7,183	individuals	83	near favourable
African Penguin Spheniscus demersus	1,600	456	breeding pairs	29	very unfavourable
Cape Gannet Morus capensis	50,000	30,000	individuals	60	unfavourable
Crowned Cormorant Microcarbo coronatus	1,200	308	individuals	26	very unfavourable
Cape Cormorant Phalacrocorax capensis	32,000	848	individuals	3	very unfavourable
Bank Cormorant Phalacrocorax neglectus	300	62	breeding pairs	21	very unfavourable
African Oystercatcher Haematopus moquini	607	137	individuals	23	very unfavourable
Pied Avocet Recurvirostra avosetta	307	249	individuals	82	near favourable
Grey Plover Pluvialis squatarola	8,228	6,432	individuals	79	near favourable
Kittlitz's Plover Charadrius pecuarius	2,000	348	individuals	18	very unfavourable
Red Knot Calidris canutus	6,219	2,521	individuals	41	unfavourable
Curlew Sandpiper Calidris ferruginea	25,347	24,951	individuals	99	favourable
Sanderling Calidris alba	2,643	7,441	individuals	100	favourable
Common Tern Sterna hirundo	9,658	2,026	individuals	21	very unfavourable
Black Harrier Circus maurus	30	7	individuals	24	very unfavourable

State (condition of the trigger species' habitats)
Habitat	Quantity (% remaining)	Quality (% carrying capacity)	Result
Shrubland	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable
Marine Intertidal	good (> 90%)	good (> 90%)	favourable

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

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	A comprehensive and appropriate management plan exists that aims to maintain or improve the populations of qualifying bird species	The conservation measures needed for the site are being comprehensively and effectively implemented	high

Year	Protected Area	Designation	% overlap with IBA
1969	Postberg Nature Reserve	Nature Reserve	10
1984	Langebaan Nature Area	Nature Reserve	20
1985	West Coast National Park	National Park	100
1988	Langebaan	Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance	20
2000	Cape West Coast Biosphere Reserve	UNESCO-MAB Biosphere Reserve	100
2000	Langebaan Lagoon Marine Protected Area	Marine Protected Area	1
2000	Jutten Island Marine Protected Area	Marine Protected Area	<1
2000	Marcus Island Marine Protected Area	Marine Protected Area	<1
2000	Malgas Island Marine Protected Area	Marine Protected Area	<1

Habitat1	Habitat detail	% of IBA
Marine Coastal/Supratidal		major (>10)
Marine Intertidal		major (>10)
Shrubland	Shrubland - Cape (fynbos)	major (>10)

1. IUCN Habitat classification.

Land use	% of IBA
nature conservation and research	100
fisheries/aquaculture	-
other	-

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Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: West Coast National Park and Saldanha Bay islands (South Africa). Downloaded from https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/west-coast-national-park-and-saldanha-bay-islands-iba-south-africa on 22/11/2024.