The National Audubon Society has selected Kenya’s Lake Nakuru National Park as the first national park in Africa to be designated an “Important Bird Area.”
Quoting the Audubon Society’s website, “The Important Bird Areas Program (IBA) is a global effort to identify and conserve areas that are vital to birds and other biodiversity.” Their website goes on – “By working to identify and implement conservation strategies at Important Bird Areas, we hope to minimize the effects that habitat loss and degradation have on birds and other biodiversity. ”
While Lake Nakuru is world-famous for its population of lesser and greater flamingos, around 450 bird species have been cataloged around the lake, including endangered species such as the Madagascar pond heron, the gray-crested helmet-shrike and the martial eagle.
This designation will help focus additional attention and resources on the importance of understanding and preserving the Lake Nakuru ecosystems.
For more information on the Important Bird Area program, please visit the Audubon Society’s website here.
Tags: flamingos, Kenya, Lake Nakuru