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RW006
Cyamudongo forest
Location Rwanda, Cyangugu
Central coordinates 28o 59.00' East  2o 34.00' South
IBA criteria A1, A2, A3
Area 300 ha
Altitude 1,700 - 2,000m
Year of IBA assessment 2001

Association pour la Conservation de la Nature au Rwanda (Affiliate)



Ornithological information See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. Although impoverished due to its small size, compared with nearby Nyungwe, Cyamudongo forest holds many species typical of the Albertine Rift forests, including Apalis argentea. Musophaga rossae, which is not found in Nyungwe, is common in Cyamudongo, while the only Rwandan record of Accipiter erythropus is from here. In addition, four species of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome (A05) have also been recorded (Table 3).

Site description Cyamudongo forest is a small relict forest located in the far south-west of the country, close to the town of Nyakabuye near the border with the DR Congo. Historically, it was connected to Nyungwe forest (site RW009) to the east, but its vegetation is more dense, with fewer clearings. Common tree species include Chrysophyllum gorungosanum, Croton spp., Newtonia buchananii, Alangium chinense and Leptonychia melanocarpa.

Populations of IBA trigger species

Species Season Period Population estimate Quality of estimate IBA Criteria IUCN Category
Red-thighed Sparrowhawk Accipiter erythropus resident  1998  -  -    Least Concern 
Mountain Buzzard Buteo oreophilus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Ruwenzori Turaco Ruwenzorornis johnstoni resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Ruwenzori Nightjar Caprimulgus ruwenzorii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Scarce Swift Schoutedenapus myoptilus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bar-tailed Trogon Apaloderma vittatum resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater Merops oreobates resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill Bycanistes subcylindricus resident  1998  -  -    Least Concern 
Ruwenzori Batis Batis diops resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Mountain Boubou Laniarius poensis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-tailed Oriole Oriolus percivali resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Dusky Tit Parus funereus resident  1998  -  -    Least Concern 
Chubb's Cisticola Cisticola chubbi resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Collared Apalis Oreolais ruwenzorii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Black-faced Apalis Apalis personata resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Kungwe Apalis Apalis argentea resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A1, A2, A3  Not Recognised 
Chestnut-throated Apalis Apalis porphyrolaema resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Mountain Flycatcher-warbler Chloropeta similis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Red-faced Woodland-warbler Phylloscopus laetus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
African Hill Babbler Pseudoalcippe abyssinica resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Sharpe's Starling Cinnyricinclus sharpii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Waller's Starling Onychognathus walleri resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Slender-billed Starling Onychognathus tenuirostris resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Stuhlmann's Starling Poeoptera stuhlmanni resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Equatorial Akalat Sheppardia aequatorialis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
White-eyed Slaty Flycatcher Dioptrornis fischeri resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Little Green Sunbird Nectarinia seimundi resident  1998  -  -    Least Concern 
Northern Double-collared Sunbird Nectarinia preussi resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Bronze Sunbird Nectarinia kilimensis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Baglafecht Weaver Ploceus baglafecht resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Black-billed Weaver Ploceus melanogaster resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Strange Weaver Ploceus alienus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A2, A3  Least Concern 
Red-faced Crimson-wing Cryptospiza reichenovii resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Swee Waxbill Estrilda melanotis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Yellow-browed Citril Serinus frontalis resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 
Streaky Seedeater Serinus striolatus resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Not Recognised 
Thick-billed Seedeater Serinus burtoni resident  1998  present [units unknown]  -  A3  Least Concern 

Protected areas

Protected area Designation Area (ha) Relationship with IBA Overlap with IBA (ha)  
Cyamudongo Forest Reserve 300 is identical to site 300  

Land use

Land-use Extent (% of site)
agriculture -
forestry -
water management -

Other biodiversity The primate Pan troglodytes (EN) occurs and the site is known for its high diversity of butterfly species.

Management considerations The site was established as a Forest Reserve in 1933, but has suffered much from clearance and fragmentation for agriculture while illegal cutting of wood occurs commonly. The remaining forest is under some protection by the local public administration, but there is little surveillance.

References Dowsett-Lemaire and Dowsett (1990), Fischer and Hinkel (1993), Kanyamibwa (1992).

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

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