Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Bunda Bay lies at the eastern end of the Speke Gulf. The gulf itself forms a large indentation in the eastern lake shore, to the north of Mwanza town, and is approximately 80 km long. Virtually the whole shoreline of the bay is heavily populated.
See Box for key species. A significant roost of
Egretta garzetta occurs on Machuera and Namguma islands. More than 6,000 birds were counted in the area yet the total for the whole of Speke Gulf must be several times higher.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
In 1995 there was constant disturbance of the bay from fishermen and villagers. It may well prove impossible to apply sensible conservation measures to areas of shoreline, but protection of groups of islands may be realistic.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Victoria: Bunda Bay (Tanzania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-victoria:-bunda-bay-iba-tanzania on 23/12/2024.
