email a friend
printable version
close| Location | Zimbabwe, Midlands Province |
| Central coordinates | 29o 44.00' East 18o 51.00' South |
| IBA criteria | A4i |
| Area | 3 ha |
| Altitude | 1,150 - 1,283m |
| Year of IBA assessment | 2001 |
Ornithological information See Box for key species. Ciconia nigra nest on the cliffs, all but one pair being on the south cliff and facing north-east. This is the largest ‘colony’ in Zimbabwe. Also nesting on the cliffs are one pair of Falco peregrinus (in 1997 for the first time in several years) and one pair of Falco biarmicus.
Site description Downstream by 10 km from the town of Kwekwe (which is in the geographical centre of Zimbabwe), and to its north-west, the Sebakwe river flows westwards through a 300-m-long gorge in a small range of hills, with cliffs up to 100 m in height. The river is up to 40 m wide, and there are almost no screes. The gorge is several kilometres downstream of the Lancashire Steel factory. Very close by on the east side are several small gold-mines, so that there is a certain amount of traffic on foot. The area is completely wooded in miombo, with Acacia lining the riverbanks. There is quite a diversity of tree species on the range of hills.
Populations of IBA trigger species
| Species | Season | Period | Population estimate | Quality of estimate | IBA Criteria | IUCN Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black Stork Ciconia nigra | breeding | - | 6-9 breeding pairs | - | A4i | Least Concern |
Protected areas
| Protected area | Designation | Area (ha) | Relationship with IBA | Overlap with IBA (ha) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sebakwe poort | Nature Reserve | 3 | is identical to site | 3 |
Land use
| Land-use | Extent (% of site) |
|---|---|
| agriculture | - |
| forestry | - |
| nature conservation and research | - |
Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.
Management considerations The land belongs to Sebakwe Farms (Pvt) Ltd., a subsidiary of Sable Chemical Industries Ltd. The poort itself and a surrounding area are leased to the National Trust as a nature reserve, and are under the local supervision of the estates manager. Some patrolling is done. Illegal wood-cutting and probably snaring occur. Undoubtedly there is pollution of the Sebakwe river, and not just from the factory. The Sebakwe, and its main tributary the Bembezana, flow through a major barley-growing area to the east of Kwekwe, with consequent run-off of fertilizer and pesticides likely.
Contribute Please click here to help BirdLife conserve the world's birds - your data for this IBA and others are vital for helping protect the environment.
Recommended citation BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Sebakwe Poort. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 23/05/2013
To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife
|
|