Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. A total of 87 bird species have been recorded, including Apalis argentea, common in some parts. Bururi is also the type-locality for Alethe poliocephala vandeweghei. In addition, two species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome, one of the Lake Victoria Basin biome and one of the Zambezian biome have been recorded (see Table 3).

Site description Bururi Forest is situated on the extreme southern edge of the Congo–Nile divide and is a small patch of forest lying immediately west of the town of Bururi in south-western Burundi. Although the reserve is 3,300 ha, the remaining semi-evergreen forest covers only some 1,600 ha. At least 93 tree species occur, with Strombosia and Myrianthus spp. dominant and Tabernaemontana, Newtonia and Entandrophragma spp. also common. The area is situated at a biogeographic crossroads such that, in addition to holding many plant and animal species of the montane forests of the Congo–Nile divide, it contains elements associated with the Zambezian region to the south, the drier savanna areas of the east and even the lowland evergreen forests of DR Congo. Annual rainfall varies from 1,200 mm to 2,400 mm.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Protected areas

Protected area	Designation	Area (ha)	Relationship with IBA	Overlap with IBA (ha)
Bururi Forest	Nature Reserve	3,300	is identical to site	1,500

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

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity There is a population of some 30 Pan troglodytes (EN).

Management considerations Threats include demands for agricultural land and hunting of bush-meat.

References Debonnet (1991), Wilson (1990).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Bururi Forest Nature Reserve. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 22/05/2013

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