Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
Mara Bay is situated at the entrance to Musoma town and harbour on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. At the eastern edge of the bay is the mouth of the Mara river, backed by Masirori swamp, an extensive area of papyrus
Cyperus papyrus. There are a number of islands at the entrance to the bay including Lukuba, Kyameto, Ngoche, Bugambwa and Myonyo. The shore in this area of the lake is generally well-settled with little natural vegetation.
See Box for key species.
Chlidonias leucopterus use the area in large numbers on a regular basis. In January 1995 a roost on Ryamugasire island, immediately to the east of Musoma town, contained a minimum of 3,500
Phalacrocorax carbo, 1,500
Phalacrocorax africanus and 924
Egretta garzetta. Some of these birds may have been included in counts of birds along a 5 km stretch of shoreline which revealed 500
Phalacrocorax carbo and 1,500
Phalacrocorax africanus. The islands at the entrance of the bay may provide significant roost and breeding sites for these species. Further work is required to refine the boundaries of the site, especially at Masirori swamp. A single
Balaeniceps rex has been reported from this site and surveys are likely to reveal that species of the Lake Victoria Basin biome occur.
Non-bird biodiversity: None known to BirdLife International.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
Human densities are high and most of the shoreline is therefore unsuitable for nesting or roosting birds. Many of the islands and islets are, however, too small to sustain human settlement. A survey of Masirori swamp is a priority as it may well be the largest remaining swamp on the eastern shore of Lake Victoria. There are plans to divert water from the Mara river in Kenya that may drastically alter the swamp’s ecology.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lake Victoria: Mara Bay and Masirori swamp (Tanzania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-victoria:-mara-bay-and-masirori-swamp-iba-tanzania on 23/12/2024.
