Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box for key species. The site supports a wide diversity of waterbirds, particularly migrant species. Ardeola idae, Phoenicopterus minor, Circus macrourus, Falco naumanni, Gallinago media and Glareola nordmanni have all been recorded. In addition to those listed below, other counts include 300 Phoenicopterus minor, 200 Plegadis falcinellus and 2,000 Dendrocygna viduata. In addition, one species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome, two of the Lake Victoria Basin biome, three of the Afrotropical Highlands biome and two of the Zambezian biome have also been recorded (see Table 3).

Site description Rusizi National Park is located north-west of Bujumbura against the international frontier with DR Congo. It is made up of two parts; a strip of flood-plain about 2 km wide and 35 km long beside the east bank of the Rusizi river and, to the south, a smaller area comprising the delta of the Rusizi at the point where it enters Lake Tanganyika. The two parts are separated by the main Bujumbura–Uvira road. The delta is a mixture of islands and channels covered locally by Phragmites and papyrus. An important feature of the northern part of the reserve are the stands of the fire-resistant palm Hyphaene benguellensis ventricosa. Other dominant species are Acacia albida, Balanites aegyptiaca and Euphorbia candelabrum. There are several ponds of varying size in the northern section.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Delta de la Rusizi de la Réserve Naturelle de la Rusizi et la partie nord de la zone littorale du lac Tanganyika	Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar)	1,000	protected area contained by site	1,000
Rusizi	National Park	9,000	is identical to site	6,200

Local conservation groups The local conservation groups below are working to support conservation at this IBA.

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity The ungulate Tragelaphus spekii (LR/nt) has been recorded.

Management considerations Fires sweep the area during the dry season, June–September. Despite the intense human pressures on the area, it has remained in relatively in good condition, especially in the north.

References Debonnet (1991), Verschuren (1977), Wilson (1990).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Rusizi National Park. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 25/05/2013

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