Data Zone
Country/territory: Tanzania
IBA criteria met: A1 (2023)
For more information about IBA criteria, please click here
Area: 117,966 ha
Site summary
Makao Wildlife Management Area (WMA) is a protected
area that was established in 2007 and is located in north-central Tanzania, in
Meatu District, Simiyu Region. Makao serves as an important ecological linkage
between Maswa Game Reserve, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and Serengeti
National Park. Makao WMA (788 km2) and Mwiba Ranch (247 km2), as the area is
characterised by woodlands, bushes, a few grasslands, water ponds, and rivers.
Makao WMA and Mwiba Ranch together are bordered by other IBAs, including Maswa
Game Reserve (TZ015) to the North, Ngorongoro Conservation Area (TZ013) to the
east, and Lake Eyasi (TZ023) to the South. The climate in Makao WMA can be
classified as semiarid with a bimodal rainfall pattern. Mostly
rains start in November and end in May. Rainfall increases from less than 700
mm per year in the south to 900 mm in the north. In Makao WMA, rivers are
seasonal, and altitude declines slightly from north to south. The area is made
up of rocky hills and flat plains with typical black cotton and sandy loam
soils. Makao WMA is a communal land that belongs to 10 villages, which are
Makao, Mwangudo, Iramba Ndogo, Sungu, Sapa, Mbushi, Shushuni, Mwabagimu,
Lukale, and Jinamo. The areas surrounding the WMA are occupied mainly by the
Sukuma, Datoga, Taturu, and Nyaturu tribes. There are also members of the
Hadzabe tribe living outside the WMA. Cultivation is the major economic
activity in Makao WMA member villages. The area surrounding the WMA is not
officially a livestock-keeping area but is regarded as a dry-season grazing
area, though recently people have settled there with large heads of cattle.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Makao Wildlife Management Area (Tanzania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/makao-wildlife-management-area-iba-tanzania on 23/11/2024.