Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
The Lendu plateau is a large area of high ground on the west side of Lake Albert in north-eastern DR Congo, bordered in the north by the Ugandan frontier. The altitude of the plateau varies between 1,700 m and 2,000 m rising, along its eastern edge, to some cone-shaped mountains, the highest of which is Mount Aboro (2,455 m). The plateau is mainly grassy, with relatively few trees except
Erythrina sp. Formerly, some patches of montane forest occurred above 1,500 m and on the higher mountains, but these have mostly been destroyed. The forest near Djugu, in the valley of the Nizi river, is perhaps the most important remaining site.
See Box and Tables 2 and 3 for key species. In addition,
Crex crex has been recorded.
Muscicapa lendu was originally discovered in montane forest near Djugu, where it may still occur.
Sylvietta chapini is only known from this site. Other species of interest include
Chlorocichla prigoginei (not uncommon; known only from one other site) and
Terpsiphone bedfordi, a restricted-range species of the Eastern DR Congo lowlands EBA (see Table 2). Six species of the Sudan–Guinea Savanna biome, 15 of the Guinea–Congo Forests biome and one of the Lake Victoria Basin biome have also been recorded (see Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: The highland area is densely settled and little mammal fauna remains. The lowland forest transition probably still contains some areas with important populations of primates and ungulates.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
There is no legal protection. The status of forests in the area is unknown. A survey is urgently needed to determine what conservation measures are needed.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Lendu Plateau (Congo, The Democratic Republic of the). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lendu-plateau-iba-congo-the-democratic-republic-of-the on 23/12/2024.
