Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Boyo Wetland is 26 km north of Alaba Kulito, Hadiya Zone. It is in the Bilate river basin that drains from the Gurage highlands south into Lake Abaya. The two main tributaries of the Bilate river, the Guder (which originates in the mountains near the zonal capital Hosana) and the Weira, merge at Boyo wetland. The vegetation of this wetland has not been studied. The site is within one of the most intensely cultivated areas in the country. It is self-supporting in food crops and many other items, and produces much for Addis Ababa.
See Box for key species. Small numbers of
Falco naumanni appear to pass through the site on spring and autumn passage and a few may overwinter.
Circus macrourus is fairly common on spring and autumn passage, with small numbers overwintering. Boyo wetland supports a high concentration of waterbirds. During a one-day survey in April 1996, 62
Grus carunculatus and three
Balearica pavonina were recorded. During the same survey, other waterbird counts included
Ardeola ralloides (40+),
Bubulcus ibis (3,000+),
Mesophoyx intermedia (300+),
Mycteria ibis (80+),
Plegadis falcinellus (1,200+),
Threskiornis aethiopicus (150+),
Plectropterus gambensis (75+) and several thousand Palearctic waders of various species. Counts covered a maximum of 10% of the total area, and the total number of waterbirds was thus estimated to exceed 20,000.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
The Boyo wetland is listed as a Controlled Hunting Area for
Hippopotamus amphibius. The area around the wetland, especially the western side, is being used as range- and farmland, and the hills are denuded of trees and grass cover. As a consequence, the land is severely eroded and the lake is silting up. Other threats include human settlement and the introduction of exotic tree species. Silt deposits have attracted people to expand cultivation in the area, and farmers are planting
Eucalyptus globulus, an exotic tree species well known for drying out soils. Birds face disturbance from people and domestic stock.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Boyo wetland (Ethiopia). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/boyo-wetland-iba-ethiopia on 22/11/2024.
