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ZM008
Liuwa Plain National Park
Location Zambia, Western
Central coordinates 22o 37.00' East  14o 32.00' South
IBA criteria A1, A3, A4i
Area 366,000 ha
Altitude 1,000 - 1,050m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Zambian Ornithological Society (Partner Designate)



Ornithological information See Box and Table 3 for key species. Huge numbers of waterbirds can congregate at this site. Egretta vinaceigula is a regular visitor; concentrations of more than 10 are not uncommon and groups of over 30 have been recorded. Grus carunculatus is a common resident or visitor—counts have exceeded 1,000 individuals at times. Glareola nordmanni and Charadrius asiaticus are both abundant passage migrants, and the site is clearly of exceptional importance for the former species, which has been recorded recently in tens of thousands with some regularity (while one estimate in 1977 was of hundreds of thousands of birds). To date, this is the only known Zambian breeding locality for Chlidonias hybridus. Mirafra apiata and Spizocorys conirostris have isolated populations in the general area and other grassland birds include Falco rupicoloides, Neotis denhami and Eupodotis senegalensis. Recently, large numbers of Turnix hottentotta have been recorded, although these may be seasonal.

Site description Vast plains cover most of the area which remains comparatively poorly known. During and after the rains much of this area floods or becomes partially inundated and as the dry season progresses this water recedes leaving numerous small pans. There are also small stretches of Diplorhynchus scrub, woodland of various formations (including types dominated by Burkea africana and Baikiaea plurijuga) and patches of riparian forest. The entire park is situated just north of Kalabo, between the Luambimba and Luanginga rivers.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
African Spoonbill Platalea alba resident  -  -  -    Least Concern 
African Spoonbill Platalea alba winter  -  150 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula winter  -  80 individuals  -  A1, A4i  Vulnerable 
Slaty Egret Egretta vinaceigula resident  -  -  -    Vulnerable 
Lesser Kestrel Falco naumanni winter  -  present [units unknown]  -  A1  Least Concern 
Dickinson's Kestrel Falco dickinsoni resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus resident  -  -  -    Vulnerable 
Wattled Crane Bugeranus carunculatus winter  -  1,000 individuals  -  A1, A4i  Vulnerable 
Caspian Plover Charadrius asiaticus winter  -  250 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola resident  -  -  -    Least Concern 
Collared Pratincole Glareola pratincola winter  -  1,000 individuals  -    Least Concern 
Black-winged Pratincole Glareola nordmanni passage  -  20,000-100,000 individuals  -  A1, A4i  Near Threatened 
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida resident  -  -  -    Least Concern 
Whiskered Tern Chlidonias hybrida winter  -  150 individuals  -  A4i  Least Concern 
Coppery-tailed Coucal Centropus cupreicaudus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Racket-tailed Roller Coracias spatulatus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Souza's Shrike Lanius souzae resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Rufous-bellied Tit Parus rufiventris resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Miombo Tit Parus griseiventris resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Chirping Cisticola Cisticola pipiens resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-capped Crombec Sylvietta ruficapilla resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Angola Babbler Turdoides hartlaubii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sharp-tailed Glossy-starling Lamprotornis acuticaudus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-breasted Sunbird Nectarinia talatala resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Brown Firefinch Lagonosticta nitidula resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Fuelleborn's Longclaw Macronyx fuellebornii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Liuwa Plain National Park 366,000 is identical to site 366,000  

Habitats

IUCN habitat Habitat detail Extent (% of site)
Shrubland   3%
Grassland   96%

Land use

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

Other biodiversity A wide variety of mammals occur, including Panthera leo (VU), Lycaon pictus (EN), Acinonyx jubatus (VU) and, in particularly large numbers, Connochaetes taurinus—the largest protected population in Zambia (Jeffery et al. 1989, 1996).

Management considerations According to park staff there are over 160 villages within its boundary and consequently there are many cattle as well. At present this is not a major threat, but human encroachment needs to be carefully monitored. There is much illegal hunting, which affects the larger mammals and perhaps also the birds.

References Clarke and Loe (1974), Osborne (1978).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Liuwa Plain National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife