Data Zone
The site was identified as internationally important for bird conservation in 2001 because it was regularly supporting significant populations of the species listed below, meeting ('triggering') IBA criteria.
Populations meeting IBA criteria ('trigger species') at the site:| Species | Red List | Season (year/s of estimate) | Size | IBA criteria |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta | LC | breeding (-) | 500 pairs | A4i |
| Little Egret Egretta garzetta | LC | non-breeding (-) | 20,000 birds | A4i |
| Long-tailed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus | LC | breeding (-) | 6,000–7,000 pairs | A4i |
| Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus | LC | breeding (-) | 10,000 pairs | A4i |
| Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus | LC | non-breeding (-) | 100,000 birds | A4i |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | breeding (-) | 50,000-99,999 birds | A4iii |
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | n/a | non-breeding (-) | 100,000-499,999 birds | A4iii |
Ideally the conservation status of the IBA will have been checked regularly since the site was first identified in 2001. The most recent assessment (2012) is shown below.
| IBA conservation assessment | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year of assessment | State | Pressure | Response |
| 2012 | good | high | medium |
| Whole site assessed? | State assessed by | Accuracy of information | |
| yes | habitat | good | |
| State (condition of the trigger species' populations) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Species | Actual vs Reference (units) | % remaining | Result | ||
| Egretta garzetta | 183 / 695 (birds) | 27 | very poor | ||
| Long-tailed Cormorant Microcarbo africanus | 8,420 / 5,000 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| Grey-headed Gull Larus cirrocephalus | 89,955 / 100,000 (birds) | 90 | moderate | ||
| A4iii Species group - waterbirds | 99,316 / 20,000 (birds) | 100 | good | ||
| State (condition of the trigger species' habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Habitat | Quantity (% remaining) | Quality (% carrying capacity) | Result |
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | good (>90%) | good (>90%) | good |
| Pressure (threats to the trigger species and/or their habitats) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Threat | Timing | Scope | Severity | Result |
| Biological resource use | happening now | most of population/area (50–90%) | slow decline (1–10% over 3 generations) | high |
| Residential and commercial development | happening now | some of population/area (10–49%) | no or slight decline (<1% over 3 generations) | low |
| Response (conservation actions taken for the trigger species and/or their habitats) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Designation | Planning | Action | Result |
| Whole area (>90%) covered by appropriate conservation designation | A management plan exists, but it is out of date or not comprehensive | Some limited conservation initiatives are in place | medium |
| Year | Protected Area | Designation (management category) | % coverage of IBA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Musambwa islands | Ramsar Site, Wetland of International Importance (-) | 100 |
The Local Conservation Group(s) listed below are working to conserve this IBA.
| Name | Year formed |
|---|---|
| Musambwa Islands Joint Conservation Organisation (MIJCO) | 1998 |
| Habitat | % of IBA | Habitat detail |
|---|---|---|
| Rocky areas (eg. inland cliffs, mountain peaks) | 100 |
| Land use | % of IBA |
|---|---|
| fisheries/aquaculture | - |
| urban/industrial/transport | - |
| other | - |
Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2024) Important Bird Area factsheet: Musambwa islands (Uganda). Downloaded from
https://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/musambwa-islands-iba-uganda on 23/12/2024.