IBA Criteria met: -
For more information about IBA criteria please click here
Area: 520,000 ha
Protection status:
NatureKenya
Site description The site covers a total of 5,200 km2 and situated in three different counties - Laikipia (50%), Isiolo (37%) and Meru (13%).Thus, most of the site is in the Rift Valley while a small section falls within the Eastern part of the country.
The altitude ranges from 850 m - 2300 m asl. The rainfall ranges from 40 cm in the North to 80 cm in the South. Mean annual temperatures ranges from 16oC in the South to 26oC in the North.
Its a mix of flat ground, undulating plains, rolling hills, ancient erosion gullies, and steep, granitic inselbergs. It also has small perennial rivers , the largest being the Ewaso N'yiro with many seasonal stream channels.
The basement rock which includes granitic inselbergs is Pre-Cambrian while the most widespread soil types are Clay (Black cotton) and red sand.
Key biodiversity
The IBA has a total of 13 Globally threatened Species.
There are seven species of globally-threatened mammals:The critically Endagered Black Rhinocerous; The Endagered African Wild dog and the Gravy's Zebra; the Vulnerable Elephant, Lion, Cheetah and Common Hippopotamus; and the Near Threatened Leopard, Thomson's Gazelle, Gerenuk, Beisa Oryx,plus the the introduced white Rhinocerous.
There are also two subspecies of threatened large mammals: The Endagered Lelwel hartebeest and the Vulnerable Chaler's Mountain Reedbuck.
There are >119 species of mammals recorded. Not fewer than 7 species of primates, 24 species of Carnivores and 25 species of ungulate.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2021) Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lolldaiga-Mugogodo-Ewaso N'yiro. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 27/01/2021.
