Sites - Important Bird Areas (IBAs)

Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. The avifauna is well known with just over 300 species recorded, including a good representation of Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome species. In addition, nine species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome (A05) and one of the Afrotropical Highlands biome (A07), also occur (see Table 3). The site is a well-known locality for Francolinus schlegelii and Apalis bamendae, but the francolin has not been reported from here in recent years. One of the lakes harbours a huge roost of weavers and starlings, including at times up to 100 Creatophora cinerea, for which Ngaoundaba is the only known site in Cameroon. A number of rarely seen species may be observed in the area, including Rhinoptilus chalcopterus, Vanellus superciliosus and Grafisia torquata, all of which are likely to breed.

Site description Situated on the Adamaoua plateau, about 35 km south-east of Ngaoundéré, this site is a privately-owned ranch. The vegetation comprises a mix of Sudanian savanna and gallery forests as well as some grassland, used for cattle-ranching. There are also two small crater lakes.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Habitats

Land use

Other biodiversity None known to BirdLife International.

Management considerations The site is privately owned and has no formal protected status. Although some of the natural habitats are threatened by burning and grazing (for cattle-ranching purposes), there is little evidence of fuelwood extraction. The ranch also seeks to attract visitors and tourists for whom it offers accommodation and other facilities. Management practices seek to reconcile cattle-ranching with natural habitat preservation, although overgrazing is a problem for the survival of Francolinus schlegelii. In the long term, the forest patches are likely to be better preserved than in other parts of the Adamaoua plateau, where there is no or little control over the use of natural resources.

References Anon. (1993).

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Recommended citation  BirdLife International (2013) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Ngaoundaba Ranch. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 24/05/2013

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