The IBA programme aims to identify Globally threatened and protect a network of sites favoured quarry of hunters in the BirdLife International in Cam- Middle East and North . In bridge recently compiled a list of throughout the world that are critical particular, habitat degradation all the species in the world for naturally occurring bird and past falconry pressures have that are threatened with global exacted a heavy toll on these noble extinction.­ If a site regularly holds one or populations and stately creatures, resulting in their more of these species it can qualify as an precipitous decline. In Morocco, Tunisia IBA. Of the 1 186 bird species threatened or overhanging rock to protect the nest from and Libya, IBAs have been designated, near-threatened with global extinction, rain, and sheer cliffs below to protect it amongst other reasons, to help protect 340 (28.7 per cent) are found in Africa and from predators. These highly specific them. Also, captive breeding and release ImportantImportant its satellite islands. Most of these species requirements mean that there are massive programmes have been initiated for this are threatened by habitat loss. In an effort tracts of pristine rainforest where rock- species: hand-reared are released to conserve them, where these species fowl are naturally absent. Specific IBAs into IBAs where local Bedouins act as cus- occur in good numbers IBAs are designat- protecting areas where they occur, such as todians, ensuring that eggs and nests are ed, monitored and protected. Mount Peko and Taï National Park in not trampled by livestock. Africa’s lowland tropical forests hold Côte d’Ivoire, are required if these birds BirdBird AAreasreas two bizarre and magnificent globally are to persist into this century. To aid this Restricted-range species threatened species: the rockfowl or process, the IBA programme promotes This category is concerned with species Picathartes. The Yellow-headed Rockfowl surveys to search for, and protect, addi- which have relatively tiny world distribu- is endemic to Upper and the Grey- tional sites where these birds dwell. As a tions – less than 50 000 square kilometres. necked Rockfowl occurs from to result, several new breeding localities have Roughly the size of , less than . Living in the darkest recesses of been found and measures implemented half the size of England or one-twelfth the lowland rainforest, these birds build mud- to safeguard them. size of Texas, 50 000 square kilometres is a cup nests and breed colonially in caves The Houbara Bustard, a species of global minuscule proportion of the earth’s sur- or near boulder outcrops. They require conservation concern, has long been the face area. At first, one would guess that 

keith barnes Conserving Africa’s hottest birding hotspots keith barnes

Since its inception at the 1992 What are IBAs? because IBAs are selected using identical and standardised criteria, an IBA in Gabon PAOC in Burundi, BirdLife Put simply, IBAs are sites, either protected or unprotected, that are vital for the con- is the same as an IBA in , Malawi, International’s African Important servation of the world’s birds. Because Iraq or England and as a result they form Bird Areas (IBA) programme has IBAs target specific suites of birds, usu- a global conservation currency. ally threatened,­ rare or range-restricted progressed steadily. It is now on keith barnes (2) the verge of a defining moment – species, they often double as some of the How are IBAs selected? The dainty and delicate Red-headed Bluebill, restricted The Alpine Chat is contained by the alpine zones of East Africa’s Knowledge about certain sites and spe- to the moist Guinea Forest biome. giant mountains, such as Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya. the launch of a continent-wide finest birding destinations in Africa, par- ticularly for those birders seeking more cies is highly variable across Africa, from directory – in South Africa elusive species. Morocco’s Souss and Massa the well-atlased provinces of South Africa in October 2001. estuaries, the Taï National Park in Côte to the unknown terrain of war-torn Here Keith Barnes and Lincoln d’Ivoire (the largest continuous stretch of Somalia or the unexplored lowland rain- Fishpool explain when an impor- rainforest in Upper Guinea), Tanzania’s forests of the .­ Serengeti plains, the proposed Grassland To be able to select sites across such a tant bird area is an Important Biosphere Reserve near Wakkerstroom in variety of areas, with differing levels of Bird Area and how the pro- South Africa, Arabuko– Sokoke Forest in information available, emphasis was gramme is revolutionising bird coastal Kenya and the Ranomafana placed on measurable, but easily and conservation throughout Africa. National Park in Madagascar are all IBAs. widely applicable criteria. Furthermore, What makes them IBAs is that they are the criteria had to be applied to a host of Above The extensive lowland and well-defined sites with boundaries – it is tropical environments and diverse avi- montane forest of Bwindi Impenetrable possible to demarcate and conserve them faunas in nearly 55 nation states. As a – and they each hold one or more of a result, the presence of one or more of Forest in is a prime Important ariadne van zandbergen roger fotso/birdlife Bird Area, supporting 24 restricted species particular set of special birds, worthy of the following groups of species can qual- The Red-throated Alethe, a restricted-range species The Grey-necked Rockfowl, a highly threatened of the Albertine Rift Endemic Bird Area. specific conservation concern. Also, ify a site as a global IBA. of the Albertine Rift Endemic Bird Area. cave-dwelling resident that occurs from Nigeria to Gabon.

26 IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS africa – birds & birding OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2001 IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS 27 Right Fischer’s Lovebird, which has a very small global range, is restricted to the Serengeti Plains system.

Right, below Congregatory species, such as the Cape Gannet, breed at only five islands in the world, and number

tens of thousands at each island. keith barnes (4)

Below The Houbara Bustard, a globally threatened species, is being bred and returned to the wild, such as at this facility in Morocco.

very few species in the world have such including Tanzania’s crystalline Eastern ensuring that all the species restricted to ‘white gold’) in which the penguins bred, The members of the BirdLife Partner­ The pristine rolling grasslands, small distributions, but Africa holds more Arc and South Africa’s Cape fynbos, areas the biome are conserved in a complemen- together with over-fishing and increased ship have been most influential in this broken Acacia abyssinica than 370 of these localised and specialised known to hold masses of unique plants tary fashion is essential. incidences of oil-spills, eventually took regard, liaising with government offi- woodland and montane forests birds. Europe, by comparison, holds only and . their toll. Between 1910 and 1994 African cials, international conservation bodies of the Udzungwa Mountains two restricted-range species. By identifying IBAs (in EBAs), sites that Congregations Penguin numbers declined from 1.45 mil- and key global decision-makers to fur- in Tanzania’s Eastern Arc When two or more restricted-range spe- hold not only endemic birds, but also a The final category concerns birds that for lion to 153 000 individuals. This has had ther the ends of the programme. For supports a plethora of cies overlap, this is thought to represent host of other endemic biodiversity, can one or other reason gather together in a great deal to do with their congregatory those parts of the continent that have threatened and restricted-range an evolutionary node holding a high be protected. large numbers. Congregatory species are nature. But although this has been a dis- been able to publish their own national species. concentration of species with small glo- often vulnerable to catastrophic incidents advantage for the penguins, such congre- directories – Ethiopia, Kenya and Egypt, bal ranges, and where it occurs it is Biome-restricted assemblages that impact on single sites. Flamingos at gations also provide focal areas in which and southern Africa, through the efforts termed an Endemic Bird Area (EBA) by Although many bird species have restrict- Lake Natron may be poisoned, Rüppell’s to concentrate conservation efforts. It is co-ordinated by the Avian Demography BirdLife International. In certain areas, ed ranges, many others have distributions Griffon Vultures on a cliff wall may be easier to have intensive conservation Unit – positive spin-offs are already appar- such as in the Albertine Rift in Uganda much larger than 50 000 square kilome- disturbed during breeding, or Bank Corm- efforts for islands, wetlands or colonial ent. The considerable work BirdLife and the Democratic Republic of Congo, tres, but are restricted to a very specialised orants on Robben Island may be impacted cliff-breeding sites than it is to protect South Africa has done to raise the profile up to 37 restricted-range species overlap. habitat type or biome, and are therefore by overfishing. Where birds congregate, breeding habitat for bustards or cranes. of the proposed Grassland Biosphere The conservation of sites at these EBA of global importance. A biome is normally they are susceptible to a variety of human- IBAs in these areas thus provide a strong Reserve centred on Wakkerstroom and nodes is vitally important for long-term a major regional ecological community induced impacts. focus for conservation efforts. Volksrust has had dramatic positive ben- biodiversity conservation. Uganda’s characterised by distinctive life forms and The African Penguin provides a fine efits for one of Africa’s most threatened Bwindi Impen­etrable Forest is one such principal plant species. example of this. European sailors arriving HOW are IBAS PROTECTED? IBAs. In Egypt, vital wetland IBAs such as site, holding 24 of the 37 restricted-range A good example of this might be the at Namibian and South African islands in Selecting IBAs according to the criteria is Lake Burullus and the Upper Nile have Many national programmes stand to benefit species of the Albertine Rift, including Namib–Karoo biome, a large area encom- the 17th century could not believe their probably the easiest part of the process, been designated as protected areas as a from concerned individuals taking an interest the spectacular Red-throated Alethe and passing western South Africa, Namibia eyes when they saw the thousands of pen- but the publication of directories docu- result of the Egyptian IBA programme. in their local IBAs, as volunteers or custodians. the scarce African Green Broadbill. IBAs in and south-western Angola, but with many guin eggs, healthy protein for a hungry menting the sites is only a beginning. The With important strides such as this, it is If you would like to become involved, please EBAs tend also to be important sites for species that are restricted to a certain seaman. Although the nests were plun- directories serve to highlight areas requir- hoped that the publication of the conti- contact your national BirdLife Partner or the other animals and plants, and nowhere is region and found nowhere else in the dered, the sheer abundance of penguins, ing additional conservation attention, as nental directory will spark renewed inter- BirdLife International Secretariat, Wellbrook that more apparent than at Bwindi, which world. As these countries bear the global numbering in the several millions, could a surprising proportion of the sites fall est among decision-makers and help drive Court, Girton Road, Cambridge, CB3 0NA, famously also supports more than half responsibility for the conservation and probably handle the initial predation. But outside the official protected area net- additional conservation attention into United Kingdom; fax (+44-1223) 27 7200; the world’s population of mountain goril- management of these bird species and in the 1900s, the harvesting for fertiliser work. The most difficult job is to get Africa’s Important Bird Areas, the conti- e-mail [email protected]; website www. birdlife.net for more information. las. The African mainland holds 19 EBAs, their biomes, a co-ordinated IBA network of the metres-thick layers of guano (termed decision-makers to sit up and listen. nent’s hottest birding hotspots. 

28 IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS africa – birds & birding OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2001 IMPORTANT BIRD AREAS 29