Mt. Kulal Named 70th Important Bird and Biodiversity Area
By Chemtai Kirui || Kass Digital
Mt. Kulal in northern Marsabit County has been designated as Kenya’s 70th Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA), conservationists said.
The East African Wild Life Society (EAWLS) said a bird survey confirmed the presence of critically endangered White-headed and hooded vultures, as well as 26 biome-restricted species.
The mountain is also home to the Kulal White-eye, found nowhere else in the world.
The designation, secured under a Global Environment Facility project led by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is expected to support efforts to curb deforestation and overgrazing and promote eco-tourism in the remote Marsabit region.
“Mt. Kulal’s recognition is a win for both people and nature,” said Ann Mukaindo, project officer at EAWLS. “This formal recognition gives us stronger grounds to mobilize resources for conservation.”
Kenya now has 70 IBAs – sites identified by BirdLife International for their importance to threatened and restricted-range species or for hosting large congregations of waterbirds.
Mt. Kulal, a volcanic mountain near Lake Turkana, remains under pressure from human activity despite being regarded as a biodiversity hotspot.
