Current view: Text account
Site description (2001 baseline):
Site location and context
This site, situated in the interior of western Tanzania, is a vast wetland system of limited access, even in the dry season. During times of peak flood the flood-plains of the Malagarasi, Moyowosi, Nikonga, Kigosi and Gombe rivers cover nearly 1,000,000 ha and the permanent swamps along the margins of the rivers and lakes extend over 350,000 ha. The riverine vegetation is dominated by
Borassus and
Phoenix palms with stands of
Acacia woodland along the margins of the flood-plain. The higher ground between the rivers is cloaked in
Brachystegia–
Julbernardia woodland with patches of groundwater forest in areas with a high water-table. The Moyowosi and Malagarasi rivers both rise in the highlands of Burundi, while the Nikonga, Kigosi and Gombe rivers drain the central plateau south and south-east of Lake Victoria. These rivers join to the east of Uvinza and drain into Lake Tanganyika, 40 km south of Kigoma. The central railway between Tabora and Kigoma crosses the southern edge of the wetland, separating it (except during wet years when the whole area is inundated) from the Ugalla river wetland system (TZ019).
See Box for key species. Little is known of the avifauna in this part of Tanzania. During January 1995, waterbirds in the lakes and swamps south of the confluence of the Moyowosi and Kigosi rivers were counted. The difficulties of working such a vast area without boats and aircraft meant that numbers of many species were probably seriously under recorded, but included
Mesophoyx intermedia (263),
Ardea goliath (42),
Ardea purpurea (158),
Ardeola ralloides (298),
Ardeola rufiventris (48),
Thalassornis leuconotus (63) and
Sterna nilotica (76). Surveys of
Balaeniceps rex have estimated 493 ±86 at Moyowosi (1990), 1,867 ±891 at Kigosi (1990) and 168 ±78 outside the reserves (1990). A 1992 estimate of 2,489 birds is considered rather high. Only 44
Gallinago media were recorded in 1995, but the real population of this globally threatened species is probably far higher. Three species of the Zambezian biome have been recorded (see Table 3).
Non-bird biodiversity: Among mammals, populations of Loxodonta africana (EN) have declined from an estimated 27,279 to 1,400; Lycaon pictus (EN) still occurs.
Pressure/threats to key biodiversity
This IBA is the core of the Malagarasi–Muyovozi wetlands, which in 2000 became the first Ramsar Site to be designated in Tanzania. The unregulated spread of tobacco farming from the east is perhaps the most serious threat to the ecosystem. Huge amounts of timber are required to dry tobacco and substantial areas of Forest Reserve are being illegally cleared and ploughed for this crop. Commercial poaching of large mammals, especially hippopotamus, may have long-term ecological effects, and uncontrolled grazing and repeated burning are also potential threats. Siltation of the swamps through deforestation in Burundi is also a potential problem.
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Moyowosi - Kigosi Game Reserves (Tanzania). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/moyowosi--kigosi-game-reserves-iba-tanzania on 23/12/2024.
