Important Bird Areas

There are 6 Important Bird Areas (IBAs) designated by BirdLife International in Lesotho (BARNES, K. 2001). They cover 2,168 km2 or some 7% of the land area of the country. The IBAs were selected on the basis of breeding colonies of Cape Vulture Gyps coprotheres. Lesotho holds about 600 pairs of this species or 12% of the world population and the IBAs hold 64% of this number. The IBAs are as follows:

BirdLife International consider that four restricted range species occur in Lesotho of which three, Mountain Pipit Anthus hoeschi, *Drakensberg or Orange-breasted Rockjumper Chaetops (frenatus) aurantius and Drakensberg Siskin Pseudochloroptila symonsi have between 60 and 80% of their global ranges in Lesotho, and together define the Lesotho Highlands Endemic Bird Area (EBA).

* See note in the Species section.

Lesotho also supports species from three biome restricted assemblages: Afrotropical Highlands; Zambezian; and Namib-Karoo.

The highlands are notable for supporting an isolated race of Lammergeier Gypaetus barbatus with 122 breeding pairs, the nearest population occurring in Tanzania.

Further information on the IBAs and EBAs of Lesotho can be found at BirdLife International.

Last page update 21st December 2011