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MW008
Kasungu National Park
Location Malawi, Central
Central coordinates 33o 10.00' East  13o 0.00' South
IBA criteria A1, A3
Area 231,600 ha
Altitude 1,000 - 1,330m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Wildlife and Environmental Society of Malawi (WESM) (Affiliate)



Ornithological information See Box and Table 3 for key species. Over 370 species have been recorded; the Zambezian biome species include Ploceus olivaceiceps. Circus macrourus is an uncommon winter visitor while Falco naumanni may be regular on passage. Grus carunculatus has been recorded breeding in the past and one pair at least seems still to be present.

Site description The park lies on the Central African Plateau (1,000–1,100 m) along the border with Zambia. The vegetation consists mainly of tall Brachystegia–Julbernardia (miombo) woodland, locally mixed with Combretum and Terminalia. The woodlands are dissected by a network of grassy dambos which drain towards the major rivers of the park (the Dwangwa and Lingadzi). A few bare inselbergs rise above the woodland in the west of the park. There is a small dam on the Lifupa tributary.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Dickinson's Kestrel Falco dickinsoni resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus resident  -  1 breeding pairs  -  A1  Vulnerable 
Racket-tailed Roller Coracias spatulatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Pale-billed Hornbill Tockus pallidirostris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Whyte's Barbet Stactolaema whytii resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Barbet Tricholaema frontata resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Souza's Shrike Lanius souzae resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-bellied Tit Parus rufiventris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Tit Parus griseiventris resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Wren-warbler Camaroptera undosa resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-capped Crombec Sylvietta ruficapilla resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyanus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Scrub-robin Erythropygia barbata resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-headed Black-chat Myrmecocichla arnoti resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Rock-thrush Monticola angolensis resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Boehm's Flycatcher Muscicapa boehmi resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Anchieta's Sunbird Anthreptes anchietae resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Double-collared Sunbird Nectarinia manoensis resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Shelley's Sunbird Nectarinia shelleyi resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Chestnut-backed Sparrow-weaver Plocepasser rufoscapulatus resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Olive-headed Weaver Ploceus olivaceiceps resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Near Threatened 
Broad-tailed Paradise-whydah Vidua obtusa resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-eared Seedeater Serinus mennelli resident  1999  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Kasungu National Park 231,600 is identical to site 231,600  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Artificial landscapes (terrestrial)   1%
Shrubland   16%
Forest   81%

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
nature conservation and research -
tourism/recreation -

Other biodiversity Mammals: a small population of Kobus vardoni (LR/cd) had established itself in recent years, the only other in Malawi is in Vwaza Marsh (MW004). The populations of Redunca arundinum (LR/cd) and Alcelaphus lichtensteini (LR/cd) were the second-most important in Malawi, and that of Ourebia ouribi (LR/cd) the largest. Kasungu also contained the largest population of Loxodonta africana (EN) in the country and was the only regular site for Acinonyx jubatus (VU), but see below.

Management considerations Kasungu gained National Park status in 1970, after having been a Game Reserve since 1930. There are periodic attempts at eradicating the tsetse fly (Glossina spp.) from the area and, were this to be successful, the main threat to the park would be land claim for tobacco-farming and other crops. In recent years, game stocks have been drastically depleted by uncontrolled poaching, and the population of elephant Loxodonta africana is down to 33 at the last count (2000).

References Ansell and Dowsett (1988), Carter (1987).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Kasungu National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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